Bullets and Blazes - A Royai Drabble Collection
by Xennariel
Summary: Royai drabbles and one shots ranging anywhere from angst to pure fluff. - 43: Almost a month after the Promised Day, Riza is home from the hospital, but can't go back to work yet. Roy decides he's going to take care of her. Every day. Riza is annoyed.
1. Mornings Together

I decided to copy everyone else and put all of my drabbles into one place. These will all be just little things I either didn't like enough to post as a separate story or felt were too short to stand alone.

This first one is just some royai fluff for riza-hawkqueen on Tumblr. Based on her lovely fanart of Roy braiding Riza's hair while they wear matching pajamas.

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Riza woke feeling more relaxed and well rested than she had in a long time. It was unusual for her to sleep through an entire night so peacefully. Thinking about it, it was probably a result of where she had slept that night.

She sat up and stretched, yawning as she pulled back the covers on Roy's bed and was immediately accosted by the cooler temperature of the apartment without the warmth of the quilts. If it weren't for the warm, pink pajamas Roy had gotten her for her birthday that year, she would have curled up right back under the blankets again to keep warm.

The sounds of glass clinking reached her ears and she stood, wandering to the living room where she spotted Hayate sleeping on the rug in the middle of the room. She sat down next to him and rubbed his ears. The pup woke and wagged his tail, but fell asleep again quickly, comforted by Riza's familiar scent.

"'Morning," Roy said as he entered the living room with a smile, wearing pajamas that matched Riza's, only his were blue.

Riza looked up at him and returned his smile. He placed a cup of tea on the ground next to her before making himself comfortable behind her. Taking a sip of his hot chocolate, he set his cup next to hers and ran his fingers through Riza's messy hair, gently removing the tangles that accumulated while she slept. Riza hummed in contentment, relaxing thanks to Roy's ministrations.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Mhmm," Riza hummed her affirmation. "I always sleep better when you're around."

Roy's smile grew warmer.

"Me too."

Once Roy removed all the tangles from her hair, he slowly began braiding it, something his sisters had taught him when he was a kid. Riza sighed in contentment and leaned into his gentle touch. Roy playing with her hair was one of her favorite things and, though she never actually told him that, she figured that somehow he knew, because he would run his hands through her hair every chance he got.

He finished braiding her hair far too quickly, but her frown of discontentment was quickly replaced by a soft smile again as Roy wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She rested against his chest and sighed.

"I wish we could do this every morning," he muttered, lips still close enough to brush her temple as he spoke.

"Maybe someday," Riza replied, leaning her head back to rest on his shoulder. "For now, this is enough. It's more than we deserve."

Roy nodded and held her tighter, relishing how warm and soft she was in his arms. This was the Riza no one else got to see and his chest swelled with emotion at the thought.

He planted a soft kiss on her lips then rested his chin on her shoulder, drinking in as much of the moment as he could before they had to get ready for work, where they would have to pretend like none of it had ever happened.


	2. Trust

Oh look, some angst. Please enjoy. This is a prompt drabble written for mage-warden-surana on Tumblr for the prompt "I trusted you."

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The nights in Ishval were sometimes just as bad as the days. The heat receded and turned to bitter cold, but that was the last thing Roy considered so terrible. The most painful thing about his nights in Ishval were the few times he spoke with Riza alone.

"I trusted you," she whispered.

The hurt and resentment in her eyes focused directly on Roy and he wanted to shrink back from her. But he remained still, his own tortured, hollow gaze darting to the ground as he balled his hands into tight fists in his lap.

She had trusted him with her father's alchemy and he promised to use it for the good of the people. Instead, he used the gift she gave him to kill innocents.

Roy clenched his jaw and slumped in his seat. Of course she was angry with him. He was angry with himself. And then to make matters worse, to compound the hatred he had for himself, she had followed him, believing in his foolish dreams. It was his fault that she too had been forced to kill.

Would he ever stop hurting her?

"I'm sorry."


	3. Defy

Many people wanted a continuation of my fic "Can You Hear Me" and I wasn't going to continue it, but this could maybe, kinda be considered a continuation. Written as a prompt drabble for onceandalwaysenglishmajor on Tumblr for the prompt Defy.

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How long had she been asleep? Roy couldn't remember. Four months? Five? The time seemed to blur with her gone.

He had been a wreck since the incident. Riza protected him once again, but this time, he was uncertain if she would ever come back to him. When the doctors first told him she had fallen into a coma and might never wake up, Roy felt numb. He couldn't imagine life without her in it. It was hard enough moving on without Hughes. If he were to lose Riza too, he didn't think he could handle it.

Roy released her hand and stood to leave at the end of his nightly visit. He looked down at her somberly and placed a chaste kiss to her forehead before sighing and walking toward the door of her tiny hospital room. As he reached for the door handle, he paused when something faint reached his ears. Something that sounded an awful lot like Riza's voice saying the word "Colonel." He briefly wondered if he was hearing things again until he slowly turned back to her and was met with Riza's tired yet strong gaze.

Defying the odds, Riza woke up and Roy couldn't have been more thankful for her stubbornness.


	4. Saccharine

I actually posted this one to AO3 as its own story, but I feel like it's too short/I didn't quite like it enough, so I'm just throwing it into this collection here.

This is just some royai fluff for jouissezduprintemps on Tumblr for the prompt saccharine.

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Riza Hawkeye's birthday had never been anything special for her. After her mother died she never had parties and rarely received presents. She had grown up baking her own cakes and cookies and eating them by herself.

Until her father's overeager apprentice showed up.

After Roy began studying under her father and realized her birthday wasn't being celebrated, he helped her bake every year he stayed with them and enjoyed the treats with her. She had been thankful for the company of her friend, but he was terrible in the kitchen. Roy always made a mess, but he was so serious about trying to help her that she couldn't turn him away. So every year after they met, their tradition became baking together for both of their birthdays.

This year was no exception.

Riza climbed the steps to Roy's apartment, clutching a stack of documents he had forgotten to complete. Riza had a feeling he ignored the paperwork on purpose and she was not going to let him get away with it.

They were supposed to meet at her place later to bake sweets for her birthday, but their personal lives took a backseat to their work. As far as she was concerned, little things like birthdays were not nearly as important.

Riza stepped up to Roy's door and knocked, waiting patiently for him to open the door. She heard a crash from somewhere beyond the door and she could have sworn she heard him grumble something that sounded like a string of profanity. When the door finally swung open, Riza blinked at the sight before her.

Roy was covered in a white, powdery substance and the air that wafted out toward her smelled sickeningly sweet. She blinked in surprise a few times before narrowing her eyes.

"Lieutenant!" Roy stared at her, just as surprised as she was, before a grin spread on his face. "I wasn't expecting to see you until later. What brings you here? Couldn't resist seeing me sooner, hm?"

Riza sighed and glared at him.

"No sir," she said, holding out the stack of documents. "You didn't finish these and they're do tomorrow. Please do your work in the office next time."

Roy sighed and took the paperwork from her.

"Ever the slave driver, Lieutenant…"

Riza had planned on leaving as soon as she gave him his work, but she just had to know what he was doing that made his clothes so dirty. They weren't supposed to be baking until they got together later.

"I'm sorry, sir, but…Why are you covered in powdered sugar?"

Roy blinked and glanced down at himself then back up at her, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Well, I, uh…" He looked around the empty hall and motioned for her to come inside. She did and he shoved his hands into his pockets after shutting the door. He looked away from her sheepishly. "I thought I'd bake you cookies this year. We've done it so often together that I was sure I could figure it out myself. You shouldn't have to bake sweets for your own birthday, so I wanted to surprise you, but… Well, as you can see," Roy gestured to his kitchen where a mixing bowl, its contents, and bag of powdered sugar lay scattered on the floor. "That didn't work out so well."

Riza stared at Roy for a minute. Finally she shook her head and a small smile found its way to her lips. She stepped closer to him and rubbed powdered sugar off his cheek with her thumb. He looked back at her then and returned her smile.

"That was very thoughtful of you," she said. "But, we both know how terrible you are at cooking. Next time, wait for me."

Roy chuckled and nodded.

"I certainly will."

"Now, let's clean this up and try again without dumping anything on the floor."

Riza took off her jacket, draped it on the coat hanger in the entryway, and went to walk around Roy to clean up his mess, but Roy grabbed her suddenly and hugged her close, covering her in powdered sugar. She yelped and he laughed. Scowling up at him, she pat the front if his shirt to coat her hands in sugar, then reached up and mussed his hair with it. That put a frown on his face and, this time, _she_ laughed, a bright, cheery sound that rarely came from her lips. It warmed his heart and he couldn't remain annoyed for long. He laughed with her and ruffled her hair with powdered sugar in retaliation.

The scowl returned to her face and Roy thought it was the most adorable thing, her covered in powdered sugar, hair a mess and flecked with the stuff, frowning up at him. He couldn't help himself and bent down to capture her pouty lips in a soft kiss. This seemed to ease her annoyance and she melted into his kiss, returning it with gentle pressure as she wound her arms around his neck.

"Happy birthday," he muttered, lips brushing her own as he spoke.

She smiled and kissed him again.


	5. Banter on the Battlefield

This is a prompt drabble I wrote a while ago for ayainlalaland on Tumblr, I just never posted it anywhere else and I figured this would be a good place to do that. Written for the prompt 'From Behind Hug.'

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If Brigadier General Mustang and his team ended up in one more scuffle with a wanted criminal and his friends this month, Roy was going to file a formal complaint to Fuhrer Grumman.

The sounds of gunfire and explosions from Roy's flames rocked the quiet downtown streets and the scent of smoke permeated the air. Riza and Roy split off from the rest of the team to chase a few of the gang members to the other side of the warehouse district, stopping when they reached a dark alleyway. Riza aimed and fired at their targets, hitting one in the leg. The other three managed split up and Roy and Riza lost sight of one of them while they attempted to take care of the two men they _could_ see.

While she was distracted with trying to get a hit on their targets, Riza didn't notice that the man they lost sight of had reached the roof of one of the warehouses and pushed a stack of boxes over the edge. It was just above her and would have crushed her beneath them, but Roy saw the boxes falling and reacted just in time. He reached forward and wrapped one arm around Riza's waist, the other around her shoulder, quickly pulling her close to him and out of harm's way just as the heavy boxes crashed into the space Riza previously occupied.

In any other circumstance, it would have looked like he was hugging her from behind in some kind of romantic gesture. In fact, Roy almost grinned and made a comment about it, but they were in the middle of a fight and Riza was not having any of his antics.

"This isn't the time, sir," Riza scolded just before she heard a sound from behind them.

She spun out of his arms and pushed him behind her, pressing her back against his, taking aim and shooting the man that had attempted to sneak up on them. The bullet hit him in the shoulder and he fell with a yelp.

"That was some excellent hearing, Lieutenant," Roy said, turning to snap at the man firing down on them from the roof.

" _Someone_ has to be paying attention out here."

Roy frowned at that but continued with the fight, he and Riza exchanging places and ducking and turning, their battle looking almost like a choreographed dance with the fluidity of their teamwork, until all four men were on the ground.

"I think that went well," Roy said, putting his hands on his hips and surveying the area. "Let's see if the others caught the rest of these fools."


	6. Does That Feel Better?

This was written a while ago for the prompt 'Does That Feel Better.'

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Roy sneezed and groaned making Riza look up from her desk.

"Perhaps we should call it a night, sir."

Roy and Riza were the last two in the office finishing up paperwork after hours and Roy had the flu. He was achy and tired and miserable and he just wanted to go home and sleep. But work needed to be done and he wasn't about to let Hawkeye take care of his paperwork by herself.

"No, no, it's fine, Lieutenant," he said, voice hoarse and scratchy. "I can keep working."

Stretching his shoulders and arms, Roy grimaced at how sore he was. Why had he put off all this paperwork? He was suffering for it now and he could have kicked himself.

Riza frowned and stood from her desk, leaving the office without a word. Roy stared after her with a curious look, wondering where she was going. He was too achy to move and follow her though, so he figured she was finally done with his procrastination and left him to fend for himself. He went back to work with a grumble, wishing he had a cup of tea or coffee or something warm to soothe his throat.

Several minutes later, a cup of steaming hot tea was placed in front of him and his eyes widened, looking up in surprise at Riza who smiled softly. He returned her smile with an appreciative one of his own before picking up the mug, savoring the warmth in his hands before taking a sip, sighing in relief as the tea did in fact help soothe his sore throat.

He set the mug down after a few more sips, rubbing his shoulder absently while he went back to work. He had long since abandoned his scratchy and uncomfortable uniform coat and as a chill went down his arms and back he made a mental note to ensure the uniforms were made to be more comfortable when he became fuhrer.

Roy was so engrossed in trying to finish his work that he didn't even notice Riza walk behind him until he felt her hands on his shoulders, warm and soft, gently working out the knots in his back. She moved to massage his arms, slowly working her way back up to his shoulders, repeating the process a few times.

"Does that feel better?"

Roy hummed in affirmation, leaning into her touch. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned down to kiss his cheek. Roy turned his head toward her to kiss her properly, but she pulled away. He pouted at the loss of contact and swiveled in his chair to face her.

"You're sick, Colonel, remember?"

Roy groaned and turned to face his desk properly again.

"Yeah, and it's terrible."

"Well, as I recall, _someone_ said they didn't mind getting sick because a kiss was worth it."

"It's always worth it," Roy mumbled as he went back to focusing on the papers in front of him.

Riza laughed lightly and returned to her own desk.

"If you hurry, there might be more of that waiting for you at home."

Not another word needed to be spoken to persuade him and he began doing his paperwork with renewed vigor.


	7. Safe With Me

This was another prompt drabble I wrote a while ago for lovekeepsuskind-nope on Tumblr for the prompt "You Know You're Safe With Me."

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Thunder rattled the small makeshift dwelling, rain pounded the roof in sheets, and Roy woke with a start. Even after all these years, thunderstorms still made him nervous and his current location made it even worse. Thunderstorms would bring out nightmares when he slept, about Ishval mostly, and now that he had returned to that dismal desert his terrible dreams effected him tenfold. He grit his teeth and his fists grasped his blanket so hard it turned his knuckles white.

When his bed dipped to one side suddenly as someone sat down next to him, Roy turned sharply, hand coming up and ready to snap on instinct even without his gloves, but when he registered who it was, he relaxed.

Riza. She must have heard his yell when he woke. Her room was right next to his after all and Roy had even created a doorway between their rooms that they usually kept open which would have let his voice carry to where she slept. And of course she would come to him on such a night. Riza knew very well how Roy reacted to storms and though it rarely rained in the desert, when it did, it was even worse than anywhere else.

She reached for him and ran her hand through his hair, adding slight pressure behind his head to try to coax him closer to her. He complied easily and laid in her lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and burying his face into her stomach. She held him close, one arm holding him around his shoulders while she continued to weave her fingers through his hair with her other hand. He was still very tense and twitched lightly with every crash of thunder.

"It's okay," Riza said, voice quiet and soothing. "You know you're safe with me."

Yes, Roy was very aware of how safe he was with her. She was the only one that he trusted implicitly. He knew that when he was with her, he could put down his guard, leave his back to her, and there would be no reason for him to worry. Riza was always there, ever vigilant, ever caring. His eternal guardian. She was always there to protect him and only she could keep the nightmares at bay.

"I know," he murmured, voice muffled by Riza's nightgown. He nuzzled as close to her as he could, arms tightening around her. "Thank you."

It wasn't just a thank you for comforting him that night, but for everything. It was a thank you for every single thing she had ever done for him and he hoped she understood.

When he felt her lips, soft and warm on the chilled and clammy skin of his forehead, he knew she did.


	8. Bonfire

This was written a while ago for the prompt 'Bonfire' for magewardensurana on Tumblr.

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The sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air as Roy trudged through the dark woods toward his parked car. Hughes had invited everyone to a bonfire at the local park to celebrate the beginning of Autumn and Roy had been put in charge of bringing beer. He bought several cases and could only carry so many at a time to and from his car, but Hughes was too engrossed in conversation and staring lovingly at his fiance Gracia to help carry anything, so Roy was forced to do it himself.

On his second trip to his car, he noticed he was not alone on the path and as the figure drew closer, he instantly recognized who it was.

"I should have known you would arrive early as well, Lieutenant."

Riza smiled softly at Roy and, though he could barely see it, it still made his chest blossom with warmth.

"Good evening, Lieutenant Colonel. I baked some cookies and was finished sooner than expected so I just decided to come early."

Roy grinned. He loved her cookies and was excited that Riza might make Hughes second guess his opinion on Gracia's cookies being the best. He stepped closer to Riza and snatched one of the cookies from the tray she was holding.

"Your cookies are always delicious," he said, wolfing down the sweet in seconds and licking the crumbs off his fingers.

Riza frowned at him, though it was only halfhearted.

"Save some for the others," she scolded and held the tray out of his reach when he went for another cookie.

With the tray being pulled away unexpectedly, Roy's hand brushed against hers and he stilled, frowning at the warmth and electricity that shot through him. Apparently, she felt it too as her eyes widened a fraction and despite the darkness, Roy noticed.

He kept his hand on hers for a few seconds, moving ever so slightly closer to her, eyes glued to hers, expression unreadable, before he reluctantly dropped his arm back to his side.

"I, uh, I was on my way back to my car to get the rest of the beer so I'll see you at the camp."

"All right."

They went their separate ways, though the tension and almost magnetic pull between them did not dissipate.

Roy made the trek from his car to the bonfire even slower than the first time and when he returned, Hughes had even noticed how long he'd been gone.

"Took you long enough, Roy! Everyone's already shown up!"

Roy dropped the cases of beer next to the bench Hughes was sitting on and flopped down next to his friend, grabbing a beer for himself and Hughes.

"Yeah, well if _someone_ had just helped out I wouldn't have even had to go back for the rest."

"Psh, whatever," Hughes scoffed, cracking open his beer and taking a slug. "You wouldn't have wanted to get up either if you had a girl. Gracia is the best thing that's ever happened to me. She's amazing! Wonderful! You should find yourself a wife! I bet you wouldn't be so grumpy all the time if you did."

Roy knew Hughes was mostly jesting and was just looking out for his happiness, but it still stung just a bit. There was only one woman Roy would ever want and she was unattainable, no matter how strongly they felt for each other.

Roy glanced toward the opposite side of the bonfire where Riza sat talking with Rebecca. Riza seemed to sense him looking at her and turned to him. Their eyes met and as the flames flickered and danced in her eyes, he could see the adoration and longing there, knowing it reflected his own gaze.

He turned away from her to stare into the fire and tried to convince himself that it was enough.

It wasn't enough. It would _never_ be enough.


	9. Dilemma

This is sort of an alternate version of what happens in the last half of chapter 29 of my longer Royai fic Through Eyes of Flame, but you don't need to read that to understand this one. This was written a while ago for the prompt 'I guess we'll have to share.'

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"You… don't have a bed…" Riza sighed and gave Roy a sidelong glare. "Why?"

Roy shrugged and send her an apologetic half grin.

"Got rid of it when I moved. The apartment here is smaller than the one I had in East and I, well, I figured I didn't need one. A couch is fine for me."

Riza closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed. Black Hayate whined at her feet as if he understood what was going on.

Riza and Hayate had ended up at Roy's place because of a fire in her building that had forced the tenants to find other places to stay until everything was repaired. Roy's apartment was the closest and was also the only one in the area that allowed pets so it was the obvious choice in where she would stay for the weekend, but his lack of sleeping accommodations was making Riza second guess her decision to go to him.

"You said I was welcome to stay with you, but this… You only have one couch…"

"I guess we'll have to share." Roy grinned mischievously at her and Riza groaned in exasperation, clearly unamused. Roy frowned and sighed. "It's not _that_ bad… I'm not that hard to sleep next to am I?"

"That's not the problem here! Me staying here is already inappropriate and having to share a couch to sleep… We would not be _next_ to each other…"

Roy knew very well there was no room to lay next to each other and that was absolutely fine with him. In fact, he was looking forward to it.

"Does it matter? I'd venture we'd both get a pretty decent night's sleep."

Riza continued to glare at him, her expression clearly displaying her disbelief in how he could be so ridiculous sometimes.

"I'll just find a hotel…"

Riza turned to leave, but Roy grasped her wrist gently.

"I… Is this really so bad?" His voice was quiet, pained, and his expression was now sad and lonely. It broke Riza's heart just to listen to him. "No one would see us or be coming here for any reason this weekend so… Why? Am I so abhorrent that sleeping in my arms is so horrible to you?"

Riza turned away from him, her expression now mirroring his.

"You know that's not it. You _know_ how I feel… But this… We can't do this. If someone finds out, you could be… I shouldn't have come."

Ah, his Riza, ever the worrier. Always thinking about what could happen to him. She never seemed to factor herself into the equation. Of course, he did the same thing on a regular basis. They were just a couple of hypocrites full of self loathing, dreams of a brighter future, and an insatiable love for each other. They would be perfect together if only fate would allow it.

Well, fate could go to hell for all Roy was concerned. He didn't believe in that sort of thing anyway.

"You always say that, but no one will find out. We're better than that. Just… It's just for this weekend. Who knows, it could be fun to pretend that there isn't anything driving a wedge between us."

And just like that, the Roy she was used to was back and she relented under his warm and loving gaze, weaving her fingers together with his.

"Just for this weekend. This won't happen again."

Oh how Riza Hawkeye loved to lie to herself when it came to Roy Mustang.


	10. Slow Dancing

This was written a while ago for the prompt 'Slow Dancing.' I posted it to Tumblr and AO3, but never posted it here, so figured this was a good collection to add it to.

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Fuhrer Grumman's inauguration ball was so ridiculously extravagant and glamorous that the newly promoted Brigadier General Mustang was loathe to attend. It wasn't that he couldn't handle the affair, as he was well versed in dealing with high class gatherings, schmoozing his way through it all, but just because he knew how to handle it, and handle it well, didn't mean he enjoyed it.

And so he stood near one of the tables in the center of the room, surrounded by other officers and their wives, putting on a fake smile and pretending he cared about their unimportant small talk. He might have been a Brigadier General now, but that didn't mean he could become lax in his game to reach the top. Ever since Dr. Marcoh gave him his sight back, he pursued his goal with renewed fervor. Grumman would never give up the title of fuhrer so long as he was capable of coherent thought. Roy knew he would have to pry the position from the old man's cold dead hands and that meant that, even though he had Grumman's favor, he still had to work to reach the top. Grumman would never just hand out the position freely.

Speaking of the old man, it was his own gala, but he hadn't yet made an appearance. Grumman was probably held up talking to some women, Roy mused, knowing the man could never turn down a chat with a lovely lady. His position as fuhrer would probably only make that habit worse.

As Roy suspected, Fuhrer Grumman entered the room a few minutes later with a very lovely lady on his arm. In fact, she was so lovely, Roy had to do a double take. He would recognize that pretty face anywhere.

Riza Hawkeye was holding Grumman's arm lightly as he escorted her into the room. She had not returned to active duty yet and was not in her uniform like the rest of the female officers in attendance. Instead, she was wearing a dress Roy had never seen before, and he knew it must have been new because he was sure he'd seen her in every dress she owned. The floor length lilac colored gown had a high neck and cap sleeves. Her hair was tied into a loose braid and a string of pearls adorned her wrist. If anyone asked Roy what he thought, he would immediately say she looked absolutely radiant.

But then realization dawned on him and he frowned. She had still been in the hospital the day before. Why hadn't he been informed of her release? It had only been a week since the Promised Day, shouldn't she still be resting? He was suddenly annoyed with Grumman for bringing her when she should have been recuperating, and he excused himself from the group of people surrounding him.

Roy would have stomped over to Grumman and Riza had he been anywhere else, but instead he walked briskly to them, trying to act like he wasn't upset.

"Ah, Mustang! Glad to see you're here," Grumman said, grinning widely.

"Good evening, Fuhrer," Roy said, returning the old man's grin with a smile that was mostly forced. "I'd like to talk to my lieu… _captain_ for a moment please."

"Of course, of course, I need to greet my guests anyway, you two have a good time."

Grumman pat Riza's hand and was gone before either of them could utter another word.

Roy's overprotective side wanted him to find out what exactly Riza was doing there, but his love for the woman standing in front of him won out and he blurted out compliments instead.

"You look wonderful tonight," he said, gaze softening as their eyes met.

"Thank you sir," Riza replied, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

"But, what are you doing here? And why didn't anyone inform me you were released from the hospital? Shouldn't you at least be home resting?"

And there was that overprotective streak Riza found could be both endearing and annoying. She sighed.

"I'm fine, sir. I still have to wear bandages, but I'm not going to keel over just from attending a party. Grumman thought it would be amusing to surprise you and I had to go along with it…"

She refrained from telling him that she had actually liked Grumman's plan to surprise Roy with her presence and had been a little excited to see his reaction to her in the new dress she picked out with Rebecca's help the day before. His initial reaction did not disappoint, but of course he had to go and ruin the moment with his fretting over her wellbeing when she was obviously well enough if she was standing there.

Roy gave her a look she understood as his way of asking if she was sure. She stared back at him defiantly.

"I'm _fine_ ," she reiterated.

Roy nodded, seeming to finally accept her words, but she could still see the worry lined in his features so sent him a stern look in an attempt to end the matter.

Roy sighed then looked around as a slow waltz began to play. He turned his eyes back to her and extended his hand, a small smile on his lips.

"Would you like to dance?"

Riza returned Roy's smile, placing her hand in his.

"Just this once, sir," she said, eyeing the other officers in attendance warily.

"It's just a dance," Roy offered quietly, knowing she was worried about people spreading rumors about them. "It's easily written off as a gesture of courtesy toward my subordinate. I'm sure Grumman would have our backs on it too."

Riza sighed and gave him a look, but didn't press further as they stepped onto the dance floor. They assumed their slow dancing position, Roy's hand always ending up lower than it should have on her back, though Riza never said anything about it, and the two of them began gliding across the floor with a grace that could only come from years spent practicing with one another.

"Remember when you were terrible at dancing?" Roy muttered, ignoring the stares and whispers of the other people in the room as he focused on Riza, a grin spreading across his face at the memory of the first time they danced. It had been at Hughes' wedding and she tripped almost every other step until he told her to just stand on his feet. "I'm glad I decided to give you lessons. They've certainly payed off."

"Hm," Riza hummed in agreement, fondly remembering when he would sneak to her apartment to teach her. "Knowing how to dance _has_ been useful, I suppose."

Roy chuckled, pulling her just a bit closer.

" _Useful?_ " Roy asked incredulously. "Everything always has to be related to work in some way with you, doesn't it? I was certain you _enjoyed_ this."

The smile on Riza's face was invisible to everyone but Roy.

"Maybe I do."

Everyone in the room seemed to disappear as the two of them focused on each other. To anyone else, they appeared to simply be dancing, but their feelings for one another were clearly evident in their eyes.

Grumman stood watching them from the sweets table, a smirk on his face and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His plan for the evening seemed to have succeeded and he sipped his champagne thoughtfully as he watched Mustang and Hawkeye dance through far more than just one song.


	11. Through The Ice

This was a drabble I wrote a while ago just because I needed some royai kisses to brighten my day.

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Roy Mustang wasn't the greatest swimmer. Having grown up in the city, he never really learned how, so when he fell through the ice on a mission in the North, both he and Riza thought it was the end of him.

"Ha!" the Drachman spy they had been tracking from Central laughed. "Let's see the great Flame Alchemist try to use his flames now!"

Riza cried out Roy's rank and shot at the Drachman, nicking him in the leg as he made a break for it, only to be felled moments later when an angry and distraught Riza focused with her deadly accuracy and fire at the man with a barrage of bullets, hitting him in both arms and legs. The Drachman howled in pain and writhed on the ground, unable to stand.

Not wanting to waste any more time on the Drachman, Riza raced to the icy River in a frantic search for her colonel. He hadn't surfaced yet and she was a mess of worry and distress. The others on their team were at least ten minutes away as far as Riza knew. She and Roy had chased after the spy when he noticed team Mustang tailing him and they hadn't bothered to wait for the others to catch up.

Riza scanned the river and saw no signs of Roy and her panic grew. This couldn't be the end. Not here. Not now. Not after all they had been through.

Just when she was starting to lose hope, something dark flashed by under the ice and Riza nearly fell into the river herself in her hurry to get to Roy. She slipped and slid her way over to where she saw him and stopped when he was just below her. Gripping her pistol, she smashed the butt of it into the ice over and over until it broke and she was able to grasp the colonel by the collar of his coat. It was a struggle, but she managed to pull him out of the water and slide him over the ice until they were safely on land. He was cold and his lips were already turning blue.

"Colonel!" Riza shouted, holding his face with both of her hands in a futile attempt to warm him.

She removed his soaked coat and replaced it with her own before patting his face again and shouting his rank. When he wasn't responding, she began pushing on his chest and breathing air into his lungs, whispering his rank every time she went to push his chest again. After what seemed like hours, her efforts finally payed off and Roy took a sudden gasping breath, turning to the side and coughing up water before falling onto his back again. He cracked one eye open and grinned at Riza.

"Why, Lieutenant… I...had no idea you...could be so forward."

Even in the face of death the man could be utterly ridiculous.

"You idiot," Riza cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She was both overjoyed that he was alive and angry that he was joking around and not taking his situation seriously.

In her relief, she threw herself onto him, clinging to him and crushing her lips to his, pulling away only briefly to call him an idiot before immediately kissing him again and again.

"Maybe I should come close to dying more often," Roy muttered against her lips, wrapping his arms around her, absorbing her warmth and reveling in the way her body felt against his.

Neither of them noticed when Havoc and Breda showed up and immediately focused on arresting the Drachman spy, turning away from their superiors to give them a few more minutes of relative privacy. If anyone asked, they saw nothing. Besides, who would believe that the two people with the most professional relationship in the country were actually madly in love with each other?


	12. Trembling Hands

This is just a slightly angsty micro story written for the prompt 'Trembling Hands.'

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There were so many things wrong with what they were doing. It could cost them their jobs, their dreams, their future. But neither could seem to stop themselves.

Riza caressed Roy's face and hair with trembling hands as those thoughts crossed her mind. It was all so wrong, but felt so right. Just one kiss, that was all either of them wanted. They tried to convince themselves just once would be enough, tried to shut out the voices screaming at them from the back of their minds that it wasn't enough, would never be enough. But it was all they could allow themselves.


	13. Empty

This was a micro story written for the prompt 'Empty.' It's supposed to be super short.

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Riza swallowed thickly and fought back the surge of grief that bubbled up inside as she stared down at the lifeless body of Roy Mustang in her arms. His once beautiful, dark eyes that had been full of emotion and life only moments ago were now empty. As empty as the feeling in her heart. She had failed him. Failed to protect the man she vowed to follow into hell, the man she respected above all others. The man she loved. There was nothing left for her now. Her tears began to fall and she fell forward onto his chest, burying her face into the still warm wool of his uniform as she wept.


	14. Unrequited

Five sentence fic challenge written for the prompt: Royai + Unrequited.

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She was the moon, one of the only sources of constant light in his ever dark world. But she was untouchable, forever close, yet just out of reach of his tainted hands, so unworthy of her radiance, her love.

He was hope, her reason to keep moving forward, their dream for a better future resting upon his shoulders. But he was not hers, goals and the blood of innocents forever a wedge between them, a reminder that she did not deserve his affections.

Theirs was not an unrequited love, but lovers they could never be.


	15. A Moment

Another five sentence fic for Royai. I was not given a prompt so went to my old standby, fluff.

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Rain drummed a soothing rhythm on the window behind Riza who was sitting comfortably in Roy's arms. His chin was resting atop her head with one of his arms wrapped around her waist to hold her close while the other hand drew meaningless patterns on the smooth skin of her arm. Their moment of peace felt almost strange amidst the turmoil their lives had been in, but it was a welcome divergence from their new chaotic normal.

"It's coming down pretty hard out there now," Roy muttered, a smirk slowly curving his lips. "We could be in for a long night."

Riza grinned, understanding the meaning behind his words, and leaned back further into his arms.

"I look forward to it."


	16. Discreet

This was written for a ten sentence prompt drabble for the word 'Discreet.'

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Roy was having a difficult day. No one else seemed to notice, but Riza could see it clearly written in the way he furrowed his brow as he worked, in the tenseness of his shoulders as he sat hunched over paperwork, eyes not actually focusing on the material in front of him. She sighed quietly and frowned, glancing up at him for the millionth time in concern, wondering what was bothering him so much.

Without a word, Riza stood and walked over to the coffee pot in the corner of the office, filling a mug to the brim and adding two sugars, just the way Roy liked it. She approached his desk and his head shot up to meet her gaze, appearing almost startled at her presence in front of him as she reached out to him, offering the warm drink. He must have been so distracted that he hadn't seen her walk across the room to fill the mug in her hands.

She smiled lightly at him and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew he was having a bad day. His posture relaxed a bit and he reached to take the mug from her hands, returning her smile with a small, grateful one of his own. Riza released the mug and brushed her hand discreetly along his, holding it there for longer than was truly appropriate before turning away from him to return to her desk.

As he took a sip of his coffee, Roy glanced over to his lieutenant and smiled, thinking about how fortunate he was to have her by his side and wondering what he had done to deserve the loyalty and affection of someone as wonderful as her.


	17. Poison

This was written for a ten sentence prompt drabble for the word "Poison." It went a little over the ten sentences so I decided to just end it, but I plan on possibly writing a part two at some point.

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Hawkeye could feel the poison slowly pumping through her veins like wildfire. She was distantly aware of Mustang's voice yelling obscenities at the people responsible for her current condition just before the distinct sounds of a fight broke out, but with her mind blacking in and out, she couldn't be sure of what she was hearing. Had he really found her or was she just imagining that she could hear him, that he was there to save her?

It was probably just her poisoned mind playing evil tricks on her, knowing that, in death, he would be the one thing she'd want to see. To let the soothing timbre of his voice reverberate through her being and carry her into that final darkness would be the one thing that could send her off into oblivion peacefully.

But when Roy Mustang knelt at her side and picked up her weakening body, holding her close and shouting her name, she wondered why she ever doubted him.

He was shaking and his voice cracked and wavered as he spoke to her. "Lieutenant, please, take this. You need to drink this. It will save you."

Riza couldn't focus enough to understand his words and Roy seemed to realize this. He screwed off the cap on the vial gripped in his gloved, unsteady hand and poured its contents into his mouth. Hawkeye saw most of this through blurred vision and tried to ask what he was doing, but her voice wouldn't work.

What was he drinking? Where had he gotten that vial of putrid smelling liquid? Everything in this building was dangerous, what was he thinking? How could she protect him when he just ran in and did stupid things like that.

The world went black as his lips met hers, realization dawning on her when the foul liquid passed to her from his mouth, oozing down her throat in one retched gulp. Her last thought as she passed out was how on earth Roy had managed to hold that disgusting antidote in his mouth without feeling the need to empty the contents of his stomach all over the floor.

She wasn't awake to witness when he finally did just that.


	18. Hospitable

This was written for a prompt request for the word "Hospitable" for parental!royed, so there's only a hint of royai.

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It was only an hour before Edward and Winry's wedding and Roy found himself sitting alone in the Rockbell's living room wearing a three piece suit and waiting for Riza to finish getting ready. He fidgeted, unbottoning his suit coat in an effort to be more comfortable while he waited.

Roy thought back to when he and Riza arrived the previous day. It was almost odd how Edward had been so hospitable toward Roy and Riza, but Roy guessed Winry had something to do with that. She probably threatened Ed with a wrench to the face if he was rude to their guests.

He snickered at that thought and that was when he noticed Edward, clad in his tuxedo, standing awkwardly near the stairs, pacing and looking as if he was waging a war within himself about something. Roy raised a brow and stared at the former alchemist and just before he called out to him, Edward straightened up and stomped into the living room, plopping down on a chair across from Roy. Edward glared at Mustang and Mustang stared back, brow still raised, curious about what Ed was thinking.

"I uh…" Ed cut himself off, suddenly nervous about confessing his insecurities with his former superior officer. "Can I talk to you about something?"

That was definitely strange. What would the boy possibly want to talk to Roy about? Now Mustang was even more curious. Maybe Ed's hospitality wasn't _entirely_ because of Winry's threats.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I… Don't laugh at me all right, I'm trying to be serious here, but, I'm… kind of scared about this whole thing. Am I worth marrying? Does she know I lo…lov…" Ed stumbled over the word, a healthy blush coloring his cheeks and heating his ears. "That I care about her? What if she realizes she deserves so much better?"

Ah, so that was it. Wedding jitters. Roy almost laughed at the boy, but he refrained. Edward was obviously annoyed about having to talk to him about this, the least he could do was be civil and try to console him. The sad thing was, Roy was probably one of the closest things to an older brother or father figure that Ed had.

Roy sighed and leaned closer to Ed, eyes veering off toward the staircase as he spoke.

"She _knows_ you love her. The way you look at her is enough. The way you talk to her is enough. You just being beside her is enough… Try to remember that it _is_ enough. Don't be nervous. She can see how you feel from the way you treat her. The way you act around her. Have a little more confidence in yourself."

Mustang could feel himself getting emotional and he stopped, wondering which of them he was actually trying to convince.

"Yeah," Ed replied, nodding and straightening his suit coat. "Yeah, you're right. I'm… I'm just an idiot and I'm so nervous that I'm not good enough for her, but you're right, she knows. She totally knows." Ed nodded at Roy again, confidence building back up within him. "Thanks. I hate to say it, but I guess I owe you one for this."

Roy looked back at Ed and smirked.

"I'll hold you to that," he said, noticing Riza descending the stairs out of the corner of his eye. She looked radiant and Roy suddenly wanted a few minutes alone with her, so he made a shooing motion at Ed. "Now get out there before you're late to your own wedding."


	19. Burn

This was a ten sentence drabble prompt written for the word "Burn."

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Unlike so many others, their love did not rage like an inferno within them. It was quiet, soft, smoldering like the embers of a dying fire. It was warm, knowing looks and fierce loyalty. The love they shared was more akin to the slowly burning logs he would set alight with a smile and a snap on chilly winter evenings. Lingering, lasting, tempered. Comfortable.

No, the fire they felt within them was not an inferno, but a calming flame within a hearth. A fire they could easily rekindle or keep lit with a glance, a smile, the brush of a hand.

It was their own personal kind of fire.

And so they burned.


	20. Ice Cream

This was a prompt someone sent me forever ago and I finally got around to it because I was having a bad week and needed some fluff. So here's some fluff.

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A loud bang followed by a muffled curse jolted Riza awake. Black Hayate was already on high alert, ears perked, standing by the window and growling as Riza reached for her gun in her bedside table. Whoever was trying to break into her bedroom window at this hour would be in for a surprise if they thought she would be an easy target.

She moved quietly off of her bed and crouched low in the shadows behind her bed, waiting patiently for whoever was breaking in. They sure were taking a long time and were not being as quiet about it as they probably thought they were. The window finally opened and the person climbed in only to lose their balance on the window sill and fall unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Ow, damn," the figure muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Riza blinked and lowered her gun, realizing who it was by the sound of his voice. Hayate seemed to recognize him too as he trotted over to the man sprawled on the floor and licked his face.

"Colonel?" Riza stood from her position behind her bed and flipped on the light. She was met with Roy's lopsided grin and messy mop of hair.

"Lieutenant! Sorry to wake you. I meant for this to be far less embarrassing and much more fun and spontaneous, but um, would you like to grab some ice cream with me at the twenty four hour mart down the street?"

Riza stared at her superior officer and blinked, glancing at the clock on her nightstand before turning her attention back to Roy.

"Who crawls through someone's window at 4am to go for ice cream?!"

Riza couldn't believe what she was hearing and wondered if she was dreaming the entire ridiculous scene.

"Well, I do, apparently." Roy stood and dusted off his pants. "I mean, if you don't want to, I absolutely understand. I just…I couldn't really sleep and…it's been a bit of a bad night…"

Roy trailed off and turned away, realizing that perhaps this was indeed a stupid idea. Riza sighed, understanding what he wasn't saying. Bad dreams of Ishval, Hughes, and the Promised Day liked to plague him on a nearly regular basis since he got his eyesight back and was given the order to move to Ishval in a week's time to begin reconstruction. He was nervous and high strung and insomnia was rampant. She knew the nights he didn't sleep because he would come into the office with bags under his eyes and actually be on time, because he had never actually gone to sleep in the first place.

"Let me get dressed. I can't go out in a nightshirt."

"Well I'd certainly be okay with that," Roy said and smirked, looking at her with an almost relieved expression.

"I'm sure you would be," she replied, shooting him a glare and turning to grab some clothes from her closet.

She disappeared into her bathroom and reappeared minutes later in a skirt and blouse with a high collar.

"All right, let's go."

Roy grinned and followed her out of her apartment. The walk to the twenty four hour mart was quick and quiet in the cool early morning air. Riza's presence at Roy's side was calming, as it always was, and he was glad he came up with the ice cream idea. It was just an excuse to see her and she probably knew it, but he didn't care. Just seeing her was enough to silence the demons that kept him awake.

They purchased their ice cream and hurried back to Riza's apartment to eat it before it melted too much. They sat next to each other at her small dining table, Roy dragging the chair from across the table to be closer to her. They ate in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Silence was rarely uncomfortable between them. It was peaceful and Riza, despite being annoyed at the impromptu wake up call, was enjoying herself.

Until Roy decided to fling ice cream at her. His strawberry ice cream was flung from his spoon to her nose and she glared at him while he attempted to hold back a snicker.

"Please don't act like a child, sir," Riza sighed, exasperated. He just had to go a ruin a perfectly relaxing moment.

"Sorry," he said, the humor evident in his voice.

Roy reached over to wipe the ice cream from her nose before she could. But, just before he touched the napkin to her face, he looked thoughtful and decided on a better way to be rid of the ice cream on her nose. He grinned and leaned closer, tongue darting out and licking her nose. Her eyes widened and he chuckled, wiping her nose with the napkin in his hand and settling back in his seat to resume eating. Riza furrowed her brow and stared at the colonel, wondering just what had gotten into him that night.

"W…Why?" was all she could manage to say, mouth remaining open in surprise.

Roy shrugged and poked at his ice cream.

"I just feel like being spontaneous tonight I guess. It's probably the lack of sleep."

Riza closed her mouth and shook her head, a small smile finding its way to her lips.

"You silly man," she muttered, standing and pressing a soft kiss to his jaw.

Roy stilled and blinked at her. It was his turn to be surprised.

He stared as Riza licked her spoon clean, picked up her ice cream, and stored the leftovers in the freezer, placing her spoon in the sink. She walked toward her bedroom and turned to him, crossing her arms.

"Well, we still have a couple of hours before work and I'm still tired after being rudely woken, so I'm going back to bed." She walked into her room and then poked her head out a few seconds later. "You coming?"

Roy grinned and jumped up immediately, dropping his spoon in the sink and placing his ice cream in the freezer next to hers. He hurried to follow her into her room, shedding his shirt and shoes as he did so. Riza finished changing back into her nightclothes and crawled into bed, Roy falling onto the mattress beside her and taking her into his arms as soon as he did. He inhaled her familiar, wonderful scent and knew he would be able to get a couple of hours of sleep with her by his side.


	21. Comfort in the Desert

Ishval. The harsh, endless desert stretched on for miles. The last time Mustang and Hawkeye had been to that dry, arid landscape, they had both committed atrocities neither felt they could ever atone for.

This time, they were there to rebuild what they helped destroy all those years ago.

Mustang's team, minus Falman who opted to remain in the North, had arrived in the morning and busily went about their first day getting settled, laying out plans, and generally getting a feel for the area they'd be living in for the next several years. A small, five room, makeshift barracks had been built for them until something more substantial and lasting could be erected, and this was where the members of Mustang's team resigned for the evening to try to get a good night's sleep before the real work began the next day.

Mustang went to each of his officer's rooms to make sure they were settled, outlining what the plans were for the morning with all of them, before finally arriving at Hawkeye's room. He rapped on the door twice and the door opened moments later. Hayate bounded out into the hall, excited to see Roy and Riza hushed him when he barked.

"Good evening, Captain," Roy said, patting Hayate on the head and flashing Riza a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Her smile didn't reach her eyes either as she nodded at him.

"Good evening, sir."

"I've just been checking in on everyone to make sure they're all settled in… Are you doing all right?" His tone softened and he gazed at her with a knowing look.

Riza shrugged.

"Yes sir, as well as I can be here. Might be better once we get proper housing… Would you like to come in and see for yourself?"

Roy nodded, thankful she was inviting him in. He didn't want to return to his room quite yet.

He stepped over the threshold and into her tiny room, avoiding Hayate as he did. The room looked much like his own. Not enough room for more than a bed, small dining table, and a couple of armchairs. It wasn't the most ideal living conditions, but it was good enough until the renovations got underway. If you asked Roy and Riza, it was _too_ good for people like the two of them.

The two talked over tea in hushed tones about anything other than work or where they were. The weather, Edward getting married, Hayate's escapades in trying to avoid bath time. Anything that didn't involve their past or the fact that they were back in Ishval.

Without either of them realizing it, over an hour had passed. Roy sighed at his pocket watch and stuffed it back into his pocket as if it had offended him.

"I suppose I should get to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow." Roy stood, thanking Riza for the tea, and made to leave. "Good night, Captain. I'll see you bright and early in the morning."

Riza nodded and followed him to the door without a word until he reached for the door handle.

"Please, don't leave."

The words that left Riza's mouth were so quiet that Roy thought perhaps he had been hearing things, but when he turned to look at Riza, her eyes were full of worry and seemed to be pleading with him to stay despite her normal, professional poker face in place. He frowned and glanced back at the door, worried the rest of the men would hear them or notice that he hadn't walked back to his room yet. The floor boards were creaky and anyone walking in the halls would definitely be heard by everyone in the small building.

"I'm sorry," Riza said quickly when she noticed Roy's hesitance. "Forget it… It's just, after all these years, to be back here, I…"

"Let me get some things from my room," Roy muttered and Riza's eyes filled with relief, a feeling he certainly reciprocated. He didn't think he could handle being alone that night either and had been hoping she'd ask him to stay. Maybe it wasn't the wisest thing to do on their first night at their new post, but if being together would help both of them relax and possibly get some sleep, he was more than happy to oblige to her wishes.

Roy hurried out into the hall, making sure the floor creaked so if any of the team were still awake they would hear him returning to his room. After grabbing pajamas, a pillow, and a toothbrush, he crept as silently as possible back to Riza's room. When he returned, Hayate was already curled up on the rug next to the bed and Riza was changed into shorts and one of his old white button-up shirts, something she always wore when she was upset and needed something comforting.

Normally, seeing her in his shirt would have made his heart flutter and he would have smiled, but that night was bringing back too many memories for both of them and he barely even registered what she was wearing. The only thing he noticed was the far-off look in her eye that must have matched his own.

Riza crawled into bed as Roy stripped and changed. She lay on her side, back facing him as he joined her, mimicking her position.

It was a stupid thing, Roy mused, trying to keep up formalities even in this kind of situation. They were far away from prying eyes and, being put in charge of Ishval by the Fuhrer himself, there were no officers there with higher ranks than them. It was probably because they were so used to hiding their feelings that displaying them so openly with the members of their team in such close proximity felt almost strange.

"Thank you for staying," Riza said after a while. Her voice breaking the silence was almost jarring.

"Of course," Roy replied, still mulling over the idea of just rolling over and holding her close. Sure they were together, but they weren't touching, and simple closeness was turning out to not be enough for him.

Apparently, it wasn't enough for her either as, a few minutes later, he felt Riza shift and press herself close to his back, her hands clutching lightly at the fabric of his shirt. Taking that as a sign that she was comfortable enough, he flipped over and pulled her closer, burying his nose in her hair and breathing in the soothing scent of her lilac shampoo.

"This is going to be difficult for the next few years," Roy murmured into her hair.

"We'll get by," Riza replied, voice muffled by his shirt as she pressed her face close to his chest. "We always do."

That night, they both dreamed of the war for the first time in a while, but when one woke, the other was there to comfort them with whispers and soft caresses and light kisses and they were sure they got much more sleep than they would ever have if they had been alone.


	22. Fallible

This was written for a prompt thing on Tumblr where someone had to send the first line of a fic and I had to write the rest. princ3ssf33t gave me the first line here and I ran with the angst. lol

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"It wasn't supposed to end this way."

Roy stared down at Riza bleeding out in his arms. She smiled weakly up at him when his words reached her ears, hoping her sentiment would get through to him with her look alone. Riza knew he was blaming himself for what happened, but she didn't blame him. He didn't know. He wasn't infallible, as much as he might have thought he was. Roy was human and there was no way he could have known they were walking right into a trap.

Tears formed at the corner of Roy's eyes and threatened to fall. If help didn't arrive soon, it would be too late. Her death would be on his hands.

He couldn't lose her. Not after everything they had been through. They still had so much to do, still had so many things that needed to be said.

"Please…Riza," her name passed his lips in barely a whisper. "Hold on. Stay with me. I need you."


	23. A Dark and Stormy Night

This was written for a prompt challenge where someone sends the first line for a fic and I write then next five or so. An anon sent the line 'it was a dark and stormy night.' I actually was going to make this longer, but suddenly couldn't figure out how to flesh the idea out more. So I just went with something quick. Enjoy!

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It was a dark and stormy night. Mustang and Hawkeye found themselves dashing through the streets of Central to try to find shelter from the rain after an undercover mission. Water from puddles splashed at their ankles and the rain soaked their clothes as they ran. They were close to the Madame's bar so Roy led Riza there and swept her inside just as lightning lit up the sky behind them.

"Ugh, that storm came out of nowhere," Roy grumbled as he attempted to shake the water from his hair and ring out his shirt.

"I did tell you there was a chance for rain, sir," Riza sighed next to him, ringing out her own hair and dress. "You're the one who insisted we wouldn't need an umbrella."

Roy pouted and was about to defend himself when Madame Christmas bustled over to them with a pair of towels and scolded them about being out in such weather without any coats or umbrellas. Riza gave Roy an 'I told you so' look and he sighed, grabbing the towel from his aunt to begin drying his hair.

"Riza dear, there should be a change of clothes for you upstairs," Chris said, gesturing to the back of the bar. "One of the girls must have something that will fit you. Just rifle around until you find something. And you Roy Boy, go get changed, you look like a fool with that suit clinging to you. It looks two sizes too small!"

"Thank you, Madame," Riza said, a small smile tugging at her lips as she headed for the door that led to the back of the bar and the staircase to the upper level.

Roy sighed at his aunt for making fun of him, grateful none of the girls were around to see her reprimand him, and followed Riza to the second floor of the bar. Riza was already looking around in a dresser in one of the rooms and Roy walked over to her, leaning on the door frame and putting on his most charming smirk.

"You know," Roy began, eyeing the black ankle length dress that was now clinging to her curves because of the rain. "We could shower and change at the same time. Make things quicker… Or maybe take a little longer…"

Riza pulled out a blouse and skirt from one of the dresser drawers and held them to her chest as she stood straight and faced the colonel.

"Well, since it's pretty much your fault this happened, I'm going to have to decline. Perhaps things might have gone differently for you this evening if you had just prepared like I told you."

Roy stared, mouth agape and stunned at the reason for her rejection, as Riza smirked and brushed by him, entering the bathroom and shutting the door quietly behind her.


	24. The Missing Clip

This was another drabble written for the prompt challenge where someone sends the first sentence to a fic and I write the next five or so. The sentence sent to me was "Riza opened the bottom drawer of her desk and blinked in surprise."

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Riza opened the bottom drawer of her desk and blinked in surprise.

The broken hair clip she placed there in the afternoon was gone. She was sure she put it in the bottom drawer, but it clearly was not there so she opened the other three drawers and scrutinized the top of her desk before concluding that it was indeed missing. Had she misplaced it? Had someone taken it? Who would have stolen a broken hair clip? Huffing quietly, she continued to search, under her desk, in the trash bin, until the colonel walked in.

"'Evening, Lieutenant. Looking for something?"

Riza stood straight and saluted as he entered the office.

"Yes, sir, but it's nothing important."

"You don't need to hide things from me." Roy smiled and reached into his pocket. He produced Riza's missing clip and she gave him a questioning look. "I noticed when this fell out of your hair earlier and watched you stow it in one of your drawers, so I took the liberty of repairing it for you. I hope you don't mind. I know Catalina gave this to you and yeah, I might not like her much, but I know how much she and this clip mean to you."

He handed the clip to her and she took it from him gently, fingers brushing his for just a moment. She returned her hair to its normal style and gave the colonel a small smile.

"Mind? Of course I don't mind. Thank you, sir."


	25. Jealousy

And here we have yet another drabble written for the prompt challenge where someone sends the first sentence for a fic and I write the next five or so.

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Roy watched with fury in his eyes while a man with light brown hair started to flirt with Riza. The man was so far out of her league Roy would have laughed, but he placed his hand on her waist and Roy was having none of that. He absolutely loathed when others touched her so casually.

They were out for drinks at Madame's bar on a rare night out for them. Riza was disguised as Elizabeth, her fiery, brunette curled, faux persona. Being in disguise was the only way the two of them could spend time out together in public and not run the risk of them being caught and her being transferred. She had gone to the bar to refill their drinks when the brown haired man approached her and Roy was suddenly regretting having left his gloves at home.

Riza could feel Roy's anger radiating across the room from where he sat at a booth in the corner. If looks could kill, his certainly would have. She bit back a sigh. He was always so obvious with his jealousy.

She stepped out of the man's grasp and picked up her drinks, letting him down a little more forcefully than even 'Elizabeth' normally would. People usually didn't touch her though and that was enough to justify her brief bout of anger.

She returned to Roy with their drinks. As soon as she sat beside him he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him in an almost possessive manner. The brown haired man was staring at them from the bar and Roy made sure to continue sending his death glare in his direction. After watching the display, the man realized he had no chance and slunk out of the bar into the chilly night.

Roy grinned in triumph and took a sip of his drink, one arm still holding Riza as close to him as possible.

"You are utterly hopeless," Riza said, taking a sip of her own drink.

"What? No one puts the moves on you and gets away with it. Not if I can help it. He got off way too easily. If I had my gloves-"

"Thank goodness you didn't. You really need to curb that jealous streak."

Roy smirked and leaned closer to her, whisky scented breath warm on Riza cheek as he spoke.

"But you love me anyway."

Riza said nothing, only smiled and continued to drink her cocktail.


	26. Disease

Sometimes Roy felt like his love for Riza was akin to a disease. He certainly didn't deserve love, especially not from her, and his feelings for her would only hurt her in the end. His bloody and tarnished hands were not worthy of touching her, of holding her. It seemed like all he had ever done was hurt her and thus his love was a disease, infecting her and causing her harm.

Yet she never once blamed him for anything. At least she had never admitted such to his face. She was always kind and gentle and accepting of him. Maybe that was part of the sickness. The signs didn't show right away. One day, she would come to her senses, be rid of whatever he had infected her with, and she would leave him. Find someone else, someone she deserved, someone who would bring her happiness.

But whenever he had doubts, whenever he was hating himself, like magic she just knew and she would kiss away his fears. When she held him in her soft embrace, all was right with the world and he could almost forget how toxic he was to her. When they lay in each other's arms, he could almost forget all the horrible things he had ever done to her, to others.

Maybe that was his answer. His love might have been a disease, but hers was the cure, and together they were stronger than anything that could ail them.


	27. Out Sick

This is another fic written for the prompt challenge where someone sends me the first line to a fic and I write the next five or so.

 **000000**

She wasn't sure why exactly, but she decided to take a detour before heading into the office.

Riza had an odd feeling that Roy hadn't left yet, despite the late morning hour. Even _she_ was running later than usual, but for some reason she was compelled to walk passed Roy's apartment anyway.

It took her a little longer, but she was glad she listened to her instincts. As she thought, Roy's car was still parked in front of his building. Riza frowned and looked around to make sure no one was looking before letting herself into his building. She reached the top floor a few minutes later, stopped at the door to his apartment, and knocked twice.

"Colonel Mustang, sir," Riza called to him. She made sure to keep things professional sounding so any neighbors wouldn't be suspicious. "I'm here to drive you to work. You'll be late if you don't leave now."

She heard a moan from the other side of the door and she huffed a small sigh as she waited for him to answer her. What was it this time? A hangover from late night drinking? Stayed up too late reading alchemy texts and was too tired to get up?

All of her speculation evaporated a minute later when the door opened to reveal a disheveled and very pale colonel, still in his white button-up from the previous day, plus a pair of sweatpants.

Riza blinked at the sight before her.

"Are you all right, sir? You look a little…"

"Ill?"

"Yes."

"I am. I won't be going into the office today."

Roy's voice was scratchy with a nasal quality to it that almost made her laugh.

"Very well."

Riza pushed passed him and entered his apartment, much to Roy's confusion.

"Wha...what are you?"

"I need to use your phone."

"Why?"

"I'm going to call in so I can take care of you. You certainly won't take care of yourself and I don't want you out of the office for longer than necessary."

"What? No, it's fine you really don't need to. The office will fall apart without you."

"I'm sure they can take care of things just fine by themselves for one day."

Riza used the tone of voice that Roy knew indicated that the conversation was over. He groaned and went back to his couch, flopping down and pulling the sheets up to his chin while Riza made her call to Central headquarters. The call was over quickly and she went into his kitchen to make him something hot to drink.

She knew her way around his kitchen well. This certainly wasn't the first time she had to help him when he was sick. He never took care of himself like he should and so it was up to her to care for him every time until he got better.

"I think I'm dying," Roy moaned from the couch. "This is it! Tell the others not to cry for me."

Riza sighed. It was just like him to overexaggerate.

"Colonel…" She stepped over to him and handed him the cup of tea. "Drink this, it might help."

With another groan, Roy sat up and took the mug from her gingerly. He took a sip, not surprised to find that the tea was sweetened exactly the way he liked. He watched Riza as she went to take off her uniform jacket, draping it on the coat hanger by the door before perching herself on the floor next to the couch. Absently, he reached out and brushed a few strands of her hair out of her face. Riza looked up at the action, giving him a curious look.

"Thank you," Roy said softly, breaking the few minutes of peaceful silence between them. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd be dead most likely."

Roy frowned. "Thanks for that vote of confidence, Lieutenant."

"Of course, now finish your tea so you can get some rest. Plenty of sleep will help."

Roy sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah."

He finished the last of the tea in one large gulp and set the mug on the coffee table before settling back down on the couch. Suddenly he felt exhausted and he vaguely wondered if she had put some kind of medicine in his tea. Just before he drifted off to sleep, he gave Riza a soft smile.

"I mean it. Thank you, really. For everything. I...You…"

Riza returned his smile.

"I know. Just sleep."


	28. Reunion

This was written for the Cuddle Challenge prompt 'Reunion.' There's admittedly not much cuddling, but this was all I could think of.

 **000000**

He never wanted to leave her. Never wanted to go anywhere without her. But the Fuhrer assigned, sensitive, undercover mission in Drachma had called him away from her side and they had been forced to part for almost a year. When he arrived home, Riza Hawkeye, the person he thought about the most while he was gone, was the first person he wanted to see.

General Roy Mustang stepped into his office and took a deep breath. It felt good to be back, but he was dismayed to find that none of the people he wanted to see were where he expected. He wanted to talk to them before joining Fuhrer Grumman to give his report. Sighing, he left his office. If he waited any longer he would be late for his meeting with the fuhrer.

Roy entered the Fuhrer's office and was immediately accosted by the members of his team cheering and saluting, happy to see their general was home.

Ah, so that's where they were.

Once his surprise mellowed out, Mustang smiled and returned their salutes, relishing how good it felt to be around them again. He hadn't realized how much he really missed them. He made eye contact with Riza and his heartbeat quickened at the sight of the tiny smile on her face, one reserved only for him. God how he wanted to run over to her and sweep her into his arms. Instead he simply returned her smile and focused on the rest of his team before he did something stupid. Before long, however, his team was ushered out of the room so he could give Grumman his report. He stood near the door as they filed out and waved before shutting the door behind them. They'd have more time to catch up later.

 **000000**

"How was the meeting with the fuhrer, sir?"

Mustang looked to Hawkeye as she spoke. It was after hours and the rest of the team had already left for the day, having spent most of it talking and goofing off instead of working. As a result, Mustang opted to stay late despite it being his first day back. He didn't want to have to deal with even more paperwork later in the week.

"It went as well as could be expected. The mission _did_ go over time by a couple of months due to misinformation. I had a time explaining that, but he didn't seem to care too much."

Roy left out the part about Grumman telling him to marry his granddaughter if he wanted to make up for the mistake during his assignment.

Riza nodded and went back to work.

"I'm almost finished, Captain. I can drive you home after this if you'd like."

Riza looked up again and nodded.

"Thank you sir, I'd appreciate that."

The two finished up for the evening, grabbed their coats, and headed out into the chilly autumn evening. The drive to Riza's apartment was fairly quick with no traffic so late at night and when he stopped at the curb, Roy offered to walk Riza up to her apartment. She bit her lip in thought for a moment, as if trying to decide if that was a good idea or not, before finally accepting.

They approached her door and Riza fished her keys out of her bag, unlocking the door and stepping into her apartment. She turned to bid Roy good night, but the look on his face made her pause and change her mind. She invited him in for tea instead.

As soon as they were alone, all pretenses vanished.

The door closed behind them and Roy's arms were immediately around Riza. He clutched her desperately to his chest, like he hadn't seen her in years, like she would somehow vanish if he let go.

"I never want to leave you again," he muttered into her hair.

"I missed you," she responded, voice muffled by the shoulder of his uniform jacket.

Being in each other's arms again was comforting, and warm, and everything they needed. It had been too long and neither wanted to let go. The idea of having tea was completely forgotten as they shed their military jackets and boots and resumed resting in each other's arms on the small love seat in the living room. Black Hatate didn't even get a chance to greet Roy as they were too caught up in each other. Eventually, the pup curled at Roy's feet on the floor and fell asleep.

"I wish I could have gone with you," Riza sighed, playing with the buttons on Roy's shirt. Roy hummed in agreement as he ran his hands through her short hair. "I was worried about you all the time."

"The Fuhrer was right not to let you go, though. He needed you here. You're far more capable a bodyguard than any of those idiots he has following him around all the time. What if they men we were hunting in Drachma got past us and ended up here instead? I trust you more anyone else, and Grumman does too."

Riza sighed again and leaned into him as he held her tighter.

"I know… It was a good plan, I just…"

"Don't like being separated."

"Yes."

"Me neither. These past months were…"

Difficult? Lonely? Stressful? It had been all of those things, being apart from her. He had gotten too used to her being there when he had nightmares. Too used to being able to call her when he needed to hear her voice. They had been apart this time for longer than even when Bradley had separated them. It would have been tolerable, but when Bradley took her away he at least still caught glimpses of her in the mess, in the halls, could call her with some lame excuse just to talk to her. In Drachma, he was not allowed to contact anyone in Amestris outside of the Fuhrer's office and he was so far away from her. He had felt so alone, so disconnected from his team, from what had become the norm for him, that he nearly gave up the mission at one point when things weren't going well and he had no one to confide in.

"At least you're home now, and next time I'm going with you. I can't trust you with your own safety."

Roy could hear the light teasing tone in her voice and he chuckled.

"Hey," he muttered, nudging her in the shoulder. Riza laughed, a quiet sound that made his heart flutter. It was the most beautiful thing he'd heard in so long. "I missed you too. So much...so much…"

He pressed a soft kiss to her head and felt himself nodding off as the events of the past months suddenly caught up with him. He was relaxed for the first time since he'd left and sleep took him despite his want to stay up the entire night with the woman he loved. Riza smiled at her adorable, exhausted general and kissed his jaw, standing to cover him with a blanket. She returned to her place beside him, falling asleep tucked under his arm.


	29. The Truth Beneath The Lie

Roy's hand at Riza's waist was warm as he held her close. The satin, high necked dress clung to her curves and it was a wonder no one had noticed the gun strapped to her thigh. Roy's heady cologne wafted past her nose and she leaned closer to him, her painted lips stretched in a bright smile. He looked dashing in his three piece suit. It was no surprise that the attention of most of the ladies was focused on him.

Riza couldn't remember the last time they'd been in such close proximity to each other, if ever. Being so close to him was making her dizzy. Or perhaps it was the glass of champagne she'd downed earlier to try to prepare herself for the rest of the evening. Being among Drachman Mafia royalty was unnerving enough. Pretending to be Roy's fiance added a layer of sensitivity she definitely didn't need. She'd have to have a word with her grandfather for suggesting their undercover identities.

Roy on the other hand, though nervous, was enjoying being so close to Riza. He fell into the act of 'loving fiance' easily and it felt natural to him to hold her and flirt with her. Their relationship for the mission might have been fake, but the feelings behind it were all too real. She was gorgeous in her dress and his eyes visibly softened whenever he drank her in.

He could feel her stiffness next to him and he wished he could make the situation more comfortable for her. She wasn't used to her feelings being on full display in public. Though she acted her part quite well, the rigidness in her spine and the brisk way she moved was evidence that she was not relaxed. She was draped over Roy's arm, close enough that he could smell her flowery perfume. Her smile and words were flirty and loving, but Roy knew her well enough. He could tell just how much she wanted to get this whole ordeal over with.

As the night dragged on, a man approached them. He had a slight wobble to his stride, a bottle of beer in one hand, and the most obnoxious grin. Roy sighed and plastered a smile on his face. Riza did the same.

Roy gripped her waist just a little tighter when the man's eyes fell on her.

"Hey, sweeheart," the man said, voice slurred. "Want to ditch this loser and spend some time with a real man?"

Riza cringed for a few moments before she was able to fake a smile again. She couldn't help herself. Roy's grip on her tightened more and he pulled her closer, possessively, wanting so badly to punch the man.

"I'm sorry, sir," Riza replied in a voice that was much too fake and high pitched. It almost made Roy wince. "But I'm already taken."

"She's my _fiance_ ," Roy added, with a bit more force than necessary.

The man grunted and huffed a laugh.

"Fiance? Frankly, she doesn't seem all that into you." Roy bristled, but the man continued before he could argue. "I assure you, I'm a much better choice, sweetheart. You two don't seem very affectionate. I bet I could satisfy you more."

The man's grin widened and he winked. Riza was disgusted, but the realization that her nervousness was potentially jeopardizing their cover sobered her. Roy took a breath, like he was ready to speak, but Riza cut him off.

"I seriously doubt that," she said before turning to Roy, his hand coming to rest further down on her waist from the sudden movement.

Riza placed one hand on the side of Roy's face and the other behind his head and brought her lips up to his before her rationality told her it was not a good idea. Roy's eyes widened momentarily, but his surprise didn't last long. He returned her kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She was warm and soft and she seemed to melt into him as their kiss lingered longer than intended. Her lips moved gently beneath his and Roy felt her relax in his arms as her uncertainty about her actions all but evaporated at his touch. It was a moment Roy had only dreamed of sharing with her and his mind reeled now that it was actually happening. If only he knew what was going through her mind. Was this just for the sake of their act? Did it have any meaning behind it?

The man gaped at them and threw his beer thus breaking the spell that had taken over the colonel and his lieutenant. They broke apart and flinched as beer and shards of glass showered their feet.

"Do you know who I am?" The man growled. "My brother is Dario Stuvac, head of the family business, leader of the largest Drachman Mafia syndicate this side of Amestris!"

Roy almost laughed. In his drunken rage, the man had incriminated himself and his brother. It was all they needed to hear. Behind them, the doors to the mansion burst open and the reinforcements that had been waiting on standby strode into the room, having heard Stuvac's outburst from the radio Roy had hidden in his suit.

"Thank you, Mr. Stuvac, that's all we needed to know." Roy grinned and stepped aside for one of the members of his backup team to handcuff Stuvac. "You've been quite helpful. I was beginning to think we'd never be able to wrap this up."

The man blubbered and stuttered, his face red. Roy swore he could see a vein popping out of the man's forehead. Roy chuckled as he was taken away.

"Well, that went well, don't you think, Lieutenant?"

"I suppose."

Riza's response was quiet and he noted she was looking at everything but him, averting her eyes when he stepped closer to her. Roy cleared his throat, mind drifting to what she had done just minutes earlier.

"I, um, would like to talk about what happened, if that's all right with you? In private, I mean."

Riza's eyes widened and a light blush covered her cheeks when she finally met his gaze.

"I… Of course."

Roy grinned and extended his hand.

"Shall we?" Riza nodded and placed her hand in his. He closed his fingers gently around hers and brought his lips close to her ear to whisper, "You look beautiful tonight."

The blush on Riza's cheeks grew deeper and she smiled softly at Roy as he led them out of the mansion and into the cool evening.


	30. Operation Fake Mermaid

This is my first ever attempt at a crack fic. Inspired by Sapphiredragonprincess on Tumblr who thought my "fake married au" said "fake mermaid au" and I couldn't unsee it.

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"Captain James Morgan?" Mustang groaned, staring with a look of utter disbelief at the sheet of paper in his hands. " _Captain Morgan_? Like the rum? This has to be some kind of joke."

"No joke, unfortunately, sir," Hawkeye sighed, standing in front of Roy's desk. She could hear the rest of the team snickering behind her and she could see Roy was struggling to hold back laughter himself. "They've been having trouble detaining this bank robber and General Grumman has asked us to give our assistance on this case."

"Of course he has," Roy grumbled, slapping the case file on his desk and flopping theatrically back in his chair.

A man that witnesses say was dressed like a pirate, complete with an eye patch, hook hand, and parrot on his shoulder, had been robbing banks for the past two months. The man called himself Captain James Morgan, spoke with a gnarly pirate accent, and had gotten away with three bank robberies already. It was turning into quite an embarrassing predicament for the East City military and they wanted the case wrapped up quickly and discreetly. Grumman decided to call in Mustang's unit. He knew they would get the job done.

The phone rang and Roy picked up the receiver.

"This is Colonel Mustang… Yes, we did. Ah… yes." Roy glanced up at Riza, still standing in front of his desk. He had a peculiar look on his face and Riza cocked an eyebrow in question. He shook his head and finished his conversation with Grumman. "Yes, sir. I'll let them know."

Hanging up, Roy scratched the back of his head. He looked like he was trying to figure out a way to say something and Riza waited patiently for his orders.

"They found out something interesting about this 'Captain Morgan' fellow," Roy began, still looking at Riza oddly. "On his last robbery, witnesses reported that he was going on about the reason he was robbing banks… Apparently, he needs money because wants to become a pirate full time, move to some remote island, and um… marry a mermaid." Havoc, Breda, Fuery, and even Falman burst out laughing, unable to contain themselves any longer. Roy was on the verge of laughing as well, Riza noted, a wide grin splitting his face. He quickly sobered up though, clearing his throat to prepare himself for what he was about to tell Riza. "So the general came up with an idea to lure this guy in. It's, uh… Lieutenant, we're going to need you to dress up like a mermaid."

Riza blinked and was certain she had misheard him.

"I'm sorry, _what_?"

Roy cringed and quickly tried to explain the situation.

"Well, I mean, we certainly can't have _Breda_ dress like a mermaid and lure this guy in. This could bring the case to a quick close! It'll only be for a short time, just long enough to distract him so we can sneak up on him. Please, Lieutenant, you're the only one we can count on in this situation."

He gave her a pleading look and she wanted to smack him. Dressing up as a fake mermaid? How embarrassing. How demeaning. But, she had to admit, it was a decent idea. She sighed.

"Fine," came her curt reply before she turned on her heel and stormed out of the office.

 **000000**

Riza sat on a rock at the shores of the river than ran through East City. The green fake mermaid tail she was forced to wear was constricting and she couldn't find a comfortable position to sit. She wore a cream colored body suit that blended with her skin with purple sea shells covering her chest. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and decorated with pearls and shells. She'd already been sitting out there for almost an hour and the reports of a mermaid sighting by the river had been circulating through the city the entire time. Riza hoped this Captain Morgan would see the news and show up soon. Her feet were going numb.

"Yar, what does my one good eye see?! Is that a lovely mermaid waiting just for me?"

Okay, maybe she didn't want him showing up any time soon. His voice rang out from somewhere downstream and Riza wanted to pull out her gun and put him under arrest immediately. Instead, she plastered on a smile and waved when he came into view. She tried to slap her tail against the rock, but her legs were too numb and she almost fell over into the river. Unfortunately for her, Captain Morgan caught her before she fell, giving her a leering smile. Where the hell was her team? They were supposed to catch him before he approached her too closely.

"Unhand her you scurvy dog!"

Morgan and Riza turned to see Colonel Roy Mustang dressed as a pirate. He had an eyepatch, hat, a gold tooth, peg leg, the works. Riza stared dumbfounded, not believing her eyes. This was not the plan. At all.

"What?" said Morgan, clearly bewildered by Roy's appearance.

"What?" said Riza, equally baffled by the sudden turn of events.

"I said, unhand her," Roy spoke again with a cocky grin, pulling out a sword and pointing it at Morgan.

"I saw her first!" Morgan argued, drawing his own sword.

"She's _my_ mermaid!" Roy countered, charging at Morgan.

The two began to sword fight. The scene was almost comical. Roy could barely walk with that stupid peg leg and Morgan seemed to have no idea how to wield a sword. Riza grumbled and buried her face in her hands. The whole thing was turning out to be far more embarrassing than she had anticipated.

Riza yelped in surprise when someone picked her up. She removed her hands from her face to see Roy grinning back at her. Ahead of them, the rest of the team was taking a handcuffed Morgan to their car, Jean turning back to give them a thumbs up and a wink. Riza groaned and covered her face with her hands again to hide the deep blush staining her cheeks.

"What were you thinking, sir?"

"We decided this was a much more fun way to deal with Morgan. I distracted him long enough with a sword fight that Havoc and Breda easily walked up behind him and handcuffed him."

"Why didn't you just stick to the plan!? The plan was easy!"

"I was worried Morgan would just run away with you as a hostage."

"And _this_ was the solution you came up with? Sir, are you an idiot?"

Roy shrugged.

"I couldn't let him get away with putting his hands all over _my_ mermaid. And I might be an idiot, but I'm _your_ idiot."

Riza sighed, but finally cracked a small smile.

"Just take me home so I can get out of this ridiculous outfit."

"But you look damn sexy, Lieutenant."

Riza smacked his shoulder and he relented, trudging up the hill toward the car to take her home.


	31. And He Would Do It All Again

This was written for an anon on Tumblr who requested a drabble about Roy losing an arm and having to get automail.

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Roy marveled at Winry's handiwork as he flexed the fingers of his new automail left arm. It was foreign and would take a while to get used to, but he did not mourn the loss of his flesh arm. Protecting Riza had been worth it and though he knew she blamed herself, he reminded her every time he saw that faroff look in her eye that it was certainly not her fault and he would do it all again if it meant saving her.

Besides Riza being safe, the other benefit to the whole situation was that she was more open in her affections and didn't shoot down his advances immediately as she would in the past.

The woman in question knocked twice before walking into his room at the Rockbell-Elric household. Roy frowned at the melancholy that spread over her features as her eyes fell on his new arm. She stepped forward, eyes never leaving the automail limb, before bending down, entwining her fingers with his, and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she murmured against the cool metal of his arm and Roy sighed, smiling softly.

"How many times am I going to have to remind you that it isn't your fault?"

"At least a dozen more, sir."


	32. Seeing Red

This was a request written for a prompt challenge where someone sent me a pairing and a word and I had to write a 5-10 sentence fic for it. The prompt was Royai and Red.

 **000000**

They were cornered. Riza was in a stranglehold and she struggled to break free while Roy did his best to get to her out of the thug's grip.

"Stop struggling, damn you!" the thug shouted just before he smashed the butt of his gun into Riza's face and she yelped at the unexpected blow.

Roy punched the other criminal they were scuffling with and whipped around at Riza's cry of pain. His eyes were immediately drawn to the fresh injury on her cheek. It was red and angry and it took every ounce of Roy's self control not to incinerate the bastard that dare inflict such a wound on his precious lieutenant. Really the only thing keeping him from doing anything reckless was the glare on Riza's face. The look in her eyes promised pain if he did anything stupid.

Instead, he grabbed the man's attention long enough for Riza to spin out of his grasp, knee him in the groin, and send him to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"Well done, Lieutenant. As always," Roy said, stepping over the man on the ground in order to reach Riza. The wound on her face looked terribly painful and he unconsciously reached up to brush his knuckles beneath it, just barely touching her skin. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you take him out before he hurt you…"

Riza met his concerned gaze, not moving away from his gentle touch. She opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of the rest of their team approaching cut her off. Saying nothing, she turned her head away from his hand, missing the crestfallen look that flashed on Roy's face.


	33. Recklessness

This is a gift fic for mylieutenant on Tumblr who won my 666 follower giveaway.

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"Your recklessness is going to get you killed! You should have just left me and gone after Grisham before he escaped!"

General Mustang frowned at his captain.

"You and the rest of my team are in no way expendable," he replied with an indignant growl.

"If I have the opportunity to protect you, then that's what I'm going to do!"

"We've been over this before, _sir_. _I'm_ the one that's supposed to protect _you_! What would you have done if he hadn't tripped? Nothing, because you'd be dead and everything we've done up to now would have been for nothing!"

Riza was seething. It had been some time since Roy had seen her so upset.

Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the office.

Just half an hour earlier they had been in the field attempting to disband an underground gambling ring. It wasn't exactly the most dangerous of illegal happenings in Amestris, but if left alone, the gangsters might decide to branch out into something that could potentially be much worse, so it was best to nip it in the bud early on. Unfortunately, the crime boss escaped while Roy was distracted with protecting Riza from a gunman that had snuck up behind her. Roy was almost shot because of it. Had it not been for the gunman tripping, sending the gun flying from his grip, Roy would have been seriously wounded or worse.

Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He'd really pissed her off this time, but he wasn't about to apologize for protecting her. If presented with the same situation, he'd do the same thing over and over again no matter how angry it made her. Her life was more important than arresting a mob boss they could catch some other time when things were less dangerous.

He pushed back away from his desk and stood, grabbing his coat as he exited the office for the night.

 **000000**

Riza stepped into the room and glanced around, a false air of haughtiness surrounding her. If Roy was going to be a fool about things, she'd take matters into her own hands and deal with the gangsters herself, keeping him out of harm's way in the process. Going over his head to Grumman about the whole thing made her feel a little guilty, but it wasn't enough to keep her from going through with her plan.

She wasn't foolish enough to go in alone. Rebecca was at her side donning a short red dress and a ridiculous feather boa around her shoulders. Riza had told her to leave the thing at home, but of course Rebecca wouldn't listen. She thought it would fit right in where they were going and she now wore it proudly as she strut about next to Riza.

Infiltrating the gambling ring wasn't hard. The gun strapped to her thigh and her friend at her side were reassurances for Riza. Her black dress hugged her curves and glittered in the dim lighting of the nightclub basement. Her dress and the way she held herself earned her appreciative glances from all the slimy crooks at the various tables strewn about.

The air was filled with smoke and the scent of alcohol. It was disgusting, but she pushed through and sauntered further into the room.

"Why hello there, ladies," said a greaseball man in a white suit, sliding up to them with a grin on his face. It was Dirk Grisham, the boss of the underground gambling ring they'd infiltrated. "Glad to see some new, pretty faces around here. Care for a game or two?"

Riza and Rebecca smiled through clenched teeth.

"Oh, why yes," Riza said with a giggle.

"We would love to," Rebecca added with her own sickeningly sweet laugh.

Grisham gestured for them to have a seat at his table where a few other shady looking men in suits sat. Riza wasn't worried about losing to these chumps. Playing a wicked game of poker or blackjack came naturally to her. It was an odd gift to have considering she rarely played or had much use for such skills.

The game got underway. Rebecca was being a bit loud for Riza's taste, drawing unwanted attention to themselves, but the men at the table seemed to like it so she laughed and played along. It couldn't hurt to put them in a good mood, distracting them before they arrested them.

Things were going well. Riza won the first round and the dealer threw out another hand of cards to the players.

"You know," Grisham spoke in a casual manner, looking over his cards at Riza. "You're awfully good at this, _Captain_."

Riza and Rebecca's heads shot up.

"Oh yes, we knew who you were the minute you walked in."

So maybe their undercover mission _wasn't_ going as well as they thought.

 **000000**

Roy sat at the bar at his aunt's place, nursing a glass of whisky. He stared into the amber liquid, thoughts drifting back to Riza's angry expression from the previous day. His day off had been spent wallowing at the Madame's bar and his aunt was becoming agitated with his mood and increasingly disheveled appearance.

"I'm cutting you off, boy," she finally said, reaching to take the glass from him.

"No you're not, I'm fine," he grumbled and snatched the glass from her reach.

"Just go talk to Elizabeth and apologize for whatever you did to upset her!"

"I'm not apologizing for saving her life!"

Roy slammed his glass down a little harder than he meant to and his whisky splashed onto the counter and his shirt. The Madame sighed and grabbed a rag to wipe up the mess, tossing another to Roy to wipe off his dress shirt.

"You stubborn idiot," she admonished as she took his glass away from him and cleaned up her bar.

The door to the bar swung open and Havoc marched in, head whipping around in search of Roy. When his eyes fell on him at the bar, he hurried over and, after taking in Roy's appalling condition with a start, wildly began flailing his arms and explaining the situation like a madman.

"Slow down, Havoc! What's going on?"

Havoc groaned.

"Sir, Hawkeye went to infiltrate the gambling ring with Rebecca by themselves!"

"What!? Why didn't you go with them!?"

"Because they didn't tell us about it! The Fuhrer came to us at the office and let us know, but it was already too late. They're in there right now! You have to come help before they get into trouble!"

Roy stood too quickly from his stool and stumbled into Havoc.

"Or maybe you're in no condition to be helping me…"

"Shut up, Havoc. Let's go."

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Riza and Rebecca sat motionless in their seats. Thugs surrounded them pressing guns to their heads.

"It's a shame Mustang won't be here to see you die..."

Just as he finished speaking, Roy and Havoc charged down the stairs and burst into the room.

"Let them go, right now!" Roy shouted, voice slurred and stance off kilter. He tried to look menacing, but failed in his partially drunken state.

Grisham laughed.

"Ah, you're just in time, Mustang! I was just lamenting about not getting to see the look on your face as I take everything from you. Failing once again to take down my gambling institution, getting your subordinates murdered… I feel like it would all warrant a demotion, don't you think? Once they realize what a failure of a general you are…"

"That's enough out of you," Roy growled.

He dove at Grisham, diverting his lackey's attention long enough for Riza and Rebecca to stand and get away from the guns at their heads. A room wide fist fight ensued. Roy looked like he had the upper hand, until he stumbled and Grisham clocked him in the face. Roy fell back into a table, splintering it and sending him sprawling on the floor just as the backup he'd called for arrived to finish the job.

Riza grabbed Gisham and held his hands behind his back as another officer handcuffed him. Grisham was dragged away, yelling and cursing all the while.

Sighing, Riza walked over to Roy who stood and brushed off his pants.

"Sir, are you an idiot!? Why did you come here!? You do things like this too often! You think you'd learn by now to stay away and let your subordinates take care of things for you! How did you even find out about this?"

"Havoc came to get me," he replied immediately, all too eager to rat out his second lieutenant.

Riza's glance shot over to Havoc who was hugging Rebecca so tightly it looked like he was crushing her. She looked back to Roy and noticed blood dripping down his chin from a busted lip. She sighed again and stepped over to him, walking past as she made a gesture for him to follow her.

"Let's get that cut cleaned up, sir."

Roy obeyed her request and followed her into the bathroom. Riza grabbed a paper towel, rolled it up, wet it with a bit of water, and reached up to dab at the cut on Roy's lip. There was a lot of blood, but it looked worse than it was.

"Is that a new dress?" Roy murmured. "You let all those criminals see you in it, but weren't planning to let me?"

"You're a mess," Riza muttered, ignoring his comment. "Why do always manage to do such reckless things?"

Roy's eyes were soft as he gazed down at her.

"What can I say? You make me reckless."

Riza stopped cleaning his wound, her eyes flitting up to his. He reached to brush his knuckles along her cheek, but Riza turned her head just before he could touch her, a sadness creeping into her expression. She clenched the bloodied paper towel in her hand and took a deep breath, keeping her eyes averted from him.

"You can't," she whispered. " _We_ can't… Stop putting yourself in danger for my sake."

She turned away from him and dropped the paper towel into the trash bin as she left. Roy stared after her. She was right. They made a promise long ago that _they_ could wait until their goals were met. But understanding didn't make it hurt any less. Sighing, he followed after her, wondering if there ever would be a time when they _could_.


	34. Lurid

If you're used to/prefer my fluff, you might want to skip this one.

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It was dark and cold. An icy chill ate away at his skin and Roy shivered.

Where was he? The strange place he found himself in was empty and barren. There was nothing but dark, swirling mist stretched out before him. He could see no one, hear nothing, but somehow, he felt as though he was not alone.

A scraping sound reached his ears, echoing through the dark expanse, and he turned toward the sound. When his eyes fell on on the source, he grimaced.

Roy wished he hadn't turned around.

Riza stood only a few paces away, her throat open, blood oozing out over her chest, soaking through her jacket. She leaned precariously to one side as she shuffled toward him. And her eyes, her beautiful brown eyes he once could so easily get lost in, were now glazed over, blank and dead.

Roy gasped and took a step back. A vision of the Promised Day flashed through his mind, to the moment her throat was slit. She died in his arms that day. He remembered how he felt her grow cold, felt her life leave her as he cried, as he begged her to stay with him.

A gurgling noise tore him from his terrible memories, back to the even more terrible present, and he realized she was trying to speak.

She gurgled out what sounded like his name and he recoiled. Whatever this thing was, it was _not_ Riza. That knowledge made him want to run, to flee from this thing that dared impersonate his beloved. Yet, somehow it was her. It _was_ Riza, the woman he loved. The need to save her won over his fear as the sound of his name spilled from her blue lips like the blood that bubbled up and slowly dribbled down her chin.

It was the first time she had ever spoken his name.

His legs became weak and he fell to his knees in front of her. She reached for him, cold fingers surprisingly gentle when she touched his arm. She drew herself closer to him, face nuzzling his neck and shoulder. Roy shuddered at the sensation, goosebumps raising over his skin as she held him almost lovingly. Oh how he had dreamed of her being close like this. How many times had he wished they could hold each other like this?

Roy almost forgot what was actually happening until her fingers suddenly dug into his skin like claws and he had to bite back from crying out.

The reality of the situation came hurtling back to him and his eyes stung with tears that wouldn't fall.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, taking a shaky breath. This was his fault. She died because of him. _He_ did this to her, so It was up to him to make things right. "Please, forgive me."

As she sank her teeth into his flesh, he snapped, engulfing them both in flames.


	35. I Almost Lost You

This is just a drabble I wrote for an anon on Tumblr who requested a fic for the prompt "I almost lost you" kiss.

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Roy's heart almost stopped when he saw Riza fall from her tower. Like the phenomenal sniper she was, she had hidden herself so well in the shadows that if he didn't know where to look, he would never have known she was in trouble. So how someone had been able to see her, let alone shoot her, was absolutely lost on Roy.

He dove to catch her and hit the ground hard when her dead weight landed in his arms.

"Lieutenant!" he shouted as he rolled her limp form off of him, laying her gently on the ground next to him.

Riza was still and silent. He pulled his hand from her shoulder and his glove came away damp and red. Voice shaking, he called her rank once more and pried her jacket off her shoulder, desperately looking for the injury that was bleeding so much. She wasn't reacting to his calls or ministrations even as he ripped open her turtleneck to reach the wound on her shoulder.

"Lieutenant! Answer me! Open your eyes!"

Panic flared in Roy's gut at her lack of response. He tore a piece of her turtleneck off with his teeth and began making a tourniquet around her shoulder. The bullet had only grazed her arm, but the wound was deep enough that it was bleeding profusely.

Finally, a groan escaped Riza's lips and relief washed over him.

"Colonel?"

Roy let out a sigh of relief and squeezed her uninjured shoulder gently when she opened her eyes and gazed up at him.

"You're going to be fine, Lieutenant," Roy responded, unsure if he was trying to reassure Riza or himself.

"Thank you for catching me," she rasped as she tried to sit up. She winced slightly at the pain in her shoulder, but a soft smile graced her lips.

It was the most beautiful thing Roy had ever seen.

The horrifying realization that he almost lost her hit him suddenly and took a sharp breath. If he hadn't seen her fall, if he hadn't caught her, he'd never see her beautiful eyes again. Would never again see her beautiful smile. It was unthinkable.

Without a second thought, he dove forward and crushed his lips to hers, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. He felt her stiffen in surprise at first, but soon she melted into the kiss, lifting the hand on her uninjured arm to thread her fingers into his hair.

Roy would have been content to kiss her until the sun came up, but he knew she needed better medical attention than his hastily made bandage, so he reluctantly pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she croaked when he ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

"For what?"

"For not noticing the sniper. For being injured and letting them get away."

"Don't be ridiculous. I should be the one apologizing. I'm the one that asked you to come out here with me without any other backup. It was foolish of me."

Riza chuckled softly.

"You silly man. I told you I'd follow you no matter what you ask of me."

Their eyes met and Roy couldn't help himself. He leaned into her and captured her lips once more.


	36. Drunken Opportunities

This was another "kiss" prompt for an anon on Tumblr who requested a fic for the prompt "drunk kiss."

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It was late in the evening by the time Team Mustang finished their celebratory drinking at Madame Christmas' bar. It was General Mustang's birthday and they'd gathered for a night of drinks, games, and good company. It was nice to relax and be out with the team again without the threat of a corrupt government or homunculi hanging over them.

Roy stumbled after saying his goodbyes to the rest of the team. Riza caught him by the arm before he fell out of the door and onto the cold pavement of the dark alleyway. He grinned sheepishly at her in thanks to which she just sighed and shook her head with a small smile on her face. She directed him to his car and he stopped her.

"D'you think thas a good idea, Lieu–Captain? We both drank tonight…"

"I'm fine, sir. I didn't have as much as you."

Of course, at that moment her body decided to betray her and she tripped on her own foot, bumping into him.

Okay, so maybe she was a little drunk too.

Roy snickered and she glared at him.

"Fine, we'll walk."

She gripped his arm a little tighter and tried to stand him straight before they began their walk to his apartment. The night was cold, a frosty mist hanging in the air. Riza shivered at Roy's side and he glanced at her. She wore a coat, but it did nothing to help keep her bare legs warm. Wearing a skirt maybe wasn't the best choice in hindsight and she was starting to regret it.

Roy tried to move closer to her in a discreet, casual way, but in his drunken state he leaned too far to the left and ended up teetering them both off balance. Unable to catch themselves, Riza bumped into a high brick wall surrounding an office building, grunting when Roy fell with her and squashed her against it.

"Ss… sorry," Roy slurred, attempting to push away from her.

Placing his hands on the wall to either side of her, he tried to steady himself enough to move away, but instead he only succeeded in trapping her against the wall.

At least he wasn't smushing her anymore.

"It's fine, sir," Riza muttered, placing her hands on his chest, intending to push him away.

Then she made the mistake of looking up.

Roy's face was closer than she thought. She felt his breath ghost over her skin. The scent of alcohol was strong and lingered in the freezing air. Her eyes flicked up to his and it was yet another mistake on her part. His dark eyes seemed to be even darker than normal. If she didn't know any better, she wouldn't have had any idea he was as drunk as he was. Roy's eyes were piercing and steady as he gazed at her, some unreadable expression hidden there for her to try to decipher.

"Yer byutiful," Roy murmured before suddenly descending upon her, kissing her with fervor.

The kiss probably wasn't as romantic as Roy thought, Riza mused. She would have enjoyed this moment much more if he hadn't been drunk off his ass.

When Roy moved away from her, the grin stretching across his face didn't falter even when she glared at him. She pushed him further away and stood straight again, brushing off her coat.

"Next time you do that, I would prefer it if you were sober."

Roy was about to defend his actions when he realized what she'd actually said.

"Wha– wait, _next_ time?"

Riza simply smirked over her shoulder at him before continuing the trek to Roy's apartment.


	37. War's End

Happy New Year, everyone! This is the last of the "kiss prompt" requests. This one was from Meiosis2 on Tumblr (whose art is gorgeous by the way, you should check her out) and she requested the prompt "war's end" kiss.

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Roy strode with purpose past the hastily erected medical tents toward the tent he was told Riza lay in recovery. It was by some gracious miracle he didn't deserve that Doctor Marcoh decided to approach him with a philosopher's stone to restore his eyesight, and he was forever in the doctor's debt. He would fulfill his promise and restore Ishval, but first, Roy needed to make sure his right hand woman was all right. He couldn't reach his goals - _their_ goals - without her.

A nurse walked out of the tent he was heading for and he waited a few beats before approaching it himself. Pulling back the flap, his eyes immediately fell on the woman laying upon the only occupied cot inside. He walked in, letting the flap swing closed behind him, eyes never leaving his lieutenant. It was like he was taking things in for the first time. Having lost his sight for even those few hours made him appreciate the ability to see all the more.

Even after her emergency surgery and blood transfusion, Riza still looked pale and worn down. She had pushed herself so hard in order to help him fight. His lieutenant was one of the strongest people he'd ever met and she was loyal to a fault. Roy didn't know what he would do without her. All he knew for certain was that he wouldn't be where he was without her constant guidance and help.

Riza was still awake. The medical staff on call was scrambling to get everyone treated and painkillers and sedatives had only just arrived. They had yet to kick in for her, so she sat up in her cot, looking tired and worse for wear. She looked up when Roy walked in and she crinkled her brow. He shouldn't have been wandering around alone. Without his eyesight he could have been injured. Which brought up the question of how he managed to find his way to her tent by himself.

"Sir? What are you doing here? What about your eyes?"

Roy made eye contact with her and smiled and it was then she knew. Her smile mirrored his and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

"But how?"

"Doctor Marcoh. I'll explain later."

In her excitement and elation, Riza moved to stand and go to him, but Roy was quick to realize what she was trying to do. He moved to her side so she wouldn't stand, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

Without a word, Riza reached for him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and crushed her lips to his. He responded in an instant, wrapping his arms carefully around her, holding her as close as he could. Tears fell down her cheeks, mingling with his own.

They were alive. The Promised Day had tested their limits, but the war was over, the day was won, and in the end, they had each other.


	38. Beautiful

Drabble written for magewardensurana on Tumblr for the prompt "beautiful."

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Riza Hawkeye stood looking out a large picture window at the steadily lightening sky. She held a steaming cup of tea in her hands, sipping it quietly. Behind her, the bed sheets rustled and she glanced back to see if Roy had woken yet, but he turned away from her and muttered, still lost in sleep.

A faint smile graced her lips and she turned back to gaze out the window again, across the vast, well manicured yard of the Fuhrer's mansion. Roy was finally Fuhrer. They were so close to reaching the final step in their goal. It was too exciting and nerve wracking for Riza to sleep much and so she woke before light, made a cup of tea, and stood in their room to watch the sunrise. She felt like it signified the dawning of a new beginning for them.

The sun rose above the horizon, bathing the grounds in warm, golden rays of light. It was beautiful.


	39. A Lazy Spring Day

This fic is for rizahawkaye on Tumblr whose dog, Oliver, is now chasing tennis balls in heaven.

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It was a beautiful Spring day. The birds were singing a melodic tune, bobbing on their perches in the trees scattered in Central Park. Families played various sports and games, taking advantage of the warmth the sun offered after what seemed like such a long and freezing winter.

General Roy Mustang and Captain Riza Hawkeye were relaxing on a woolen blanket as far away from the business of the park as they could. Roy lay on his back gazing up at the fluffy clouds drifting in lazy patterns through the sky. Riza sat next to him, a peaceful aura emanating from her. In her hands were various blue and purple flowers that she idly played with.

Black Hayate rose from where he lay next to Riza on the blanket. He picked up his ball, brought it over to Roy, and dropped it on his chest, startling Roy from his daydreaming. Roy looked up at Hayate who wagged his tail and panted happily. He barked once and Roy groaned as he sat up.

"Okay, okay, boy," he said with a smile, grabbing the ball and giving it a toss. The pup chased after it and brought it back, dropping it back in Roy's lap.

Riza glanced up when Roy threw the ball again, smiling as her boys played. Roy and Hayate didn't always get along, but Riza knew they both liked each other more than it seemed.

After a few more tosses, Hayate's ball was full of slobber and when he dropped it into Roy's lap, it soaked his pants and Roy grimaced.

"Ew! Captain, your dog ruined my pants!"

Riza looked up at Roy with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't be such a baby, sir. It's just dog slobber."

Hayate yipped and Roy threw the ball one more time, crinkling his nose and wiping his hand on the blanket beneath him. Hayate trotted back with the ball and dropped it on the blanket, getting the message that Roy didn't want to play anymore. He sat by Riza and snuggled into her side. Roy glowered. It was almost like the pup was mocking him. He couldn't show open affection for Riza out in public, but Hayate certainly could. Riza smiled at her dog and pat his head affectionately.

"There," she said, finishing up what she was doing with the flowers in her hands.

She picked up the flower crown she'd been working on and placed it on Hayate's head. The dog just wagged his tail, seeming perfectly content with this. He curled up at Riza's side to resume his afternoon nap.

Riza glanced up at Roy. He appeared to suddenly be in a sour mood.

"Oh, don't be jealous, General," Riza said, scooting closer to him. She glanced around and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. Roy's mood immediately brightened and he grinned at Riza. "You _both_ have a place in my heart."

Roy's grin faltered a bit, but he sighed and offered her a soft, warm smile that reached his eyes. He could share Riza's affection if it meant they got to be together like this more often. It was almost like they were a family and that thought made his heart flutter.


	40. Come Cuddle

Written for an anon on Tumblr for the prompt "come cuddle."

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Riza sat at her kitchen table, eyes squinted in concentration at the documents in front of her. Roy had failed to complete some important paperwork in time and they were forced to bring it back to her place and work into the night.

The table shook as Roy scooted his chair out and stood, groaning and stretching. He wandered over to the small living room and flopped on the couch with a sigh.

"We're almost finished, sir," Riza said without looking up from her work. "You can rest when we're done."

"But it's so late, Lieutenant!" Roy whined. "I don't want to work anymore."

"Well whose fault is that?"

Roy grumbled something inaudible before speaking again.

"We can finish in the morning. Come cuddle."

Riza sighed and turned to see Roy grinning and patting the couch next to him. She stood and walked to him and his grin widened, thinking he'd won. When she moved to sit, he reached out to hold her, closing his eyes to place a kiss on her cheek.

But his lips touched something something soft and furry instead.

He opened his eyes to see a happily panting Hayate on the couch next to him and Riza snickering quietly as she went to return to her work. Roy sighed and pat Hayate's head before returning to the kitchen table to help Riza finish the paperwork he'd neglected that week.

Maybe if he worked quickly enough Riza would reward him with some cuddling before he left for the night.


	41. May Darkness Envelop Him

Angst prompt written for an anon and aheartmadefullmetal16 on Tumblr for the prompts "Bring [insert name] back! Please!" coupled with "Dark Battlefield" and "Procession."

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The nights were the hardest. When there was no paperwork to occupy his mind. When he wasn't focused on pretending he was okay in front of his team. When there was so much time alone, so much quiet with nothing but his thoughts to fill the void, he would think and dream and remember.

The dark battlefield seemed endless and was foul with the scent of decay. Her blood was warm and sticky, seeping through his gloves as he held her in his arms. It stained the earth a putrid black. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the red stain blossoming from her chest. The bullet he knew was lodged in her heart had ripped through the air with deadly accuracy. Before either of them could pinpoint where the gunshot had come from, she was down.

At least it was quick. At least she didn't suffer. Her suffering was over and she would get the rest she so deserved. He would go on and reach their dreams without her.

That wasn't how it was supposed to happen, though. She was supposed to stay by his side forever.

Her funeral procession was a blur of disbelief and pain. An ache settled itself in his chest, making itself a permanent home there. At some point he thought about screaming her name, imagined himself running to the casket as it was slowly lowered into the ground, throwing himself upon it and sobbing "Bring Riza back! Please! Please please please…" Such a thing might have actually happened. He couldn't remember anymore. If anyone had suspected there was something between the Colonel and his lieutenant before, they would have certainly known after that. But he remembered being numb through the whole thing. Numb and distant and he wasn't sure he had even been there fully.

The moment he stepped into his lonely, quiet apartment afterward, he broke down and sobbed.

It was reminiscent of how he was now, laying in his bed with only the darkness to keep him company. Anguish enveloped him like an icy blanket, stiff and suffocating. Sometimes he thought he could still hear her voice, still feel her touch, soft and cool against his skin like her spectral echo comforting him from the beyond.

But when he opened his eyes, he was alone.


	42. Only in the Dark

This is just a little something I whipped up at the last minute for Valentines Day. Enjoy!

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Thunder shook Madame Christmas' bar, rattling bottles and glasses and prompting patrons to begin trickling out into the misty, cool evening to head home for the night. The threat of inclement weather didn't seem to phase one particular couple, though. They sat in a booth in a dimly lit corner of the bar, sipping drinks and chatting quietly. Even as the bar began to grow silent and empty as it neared its closing hour, they remained.

Roy Mustang seemed content to stay right where he was, thoroughly enjoying his evening with the gorgeous woman across from him. Her auburn curls were lovely in the candlelight, her brown eyes swimming with emotion as she gazed at Roy. She wore a low cut lavender dress that was so flattering, Roy couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He was dressed to the nines himself, looking dashing in his three piece suit with a red tie.

If anyone thought it odd how dressed up the two were for a simple outing at a bar late on a Friday night, no one said a word. Madame Christmas and her girls certainly wouldn't question what their Roy Boy did during his personal time, though they'd probably poke fun of him later for it.

"You look absolutely breathtaking tonight," Roy gushed, reaching to grab the woman's hand.

"You already said that," the brunette chuckled. "Twice."

"Well I mean it!"

"Well, you don't look too bad yourself."

Their flirting was interrupted when Madame Christmas cleared her throat. They turned to her, Roy with a sheepish grin, the woman with a light blush on her cheeks.

"I'm closing up for the night. You kids have fun."

"Thanks, Madame," Roy replied, waving as she disappeared into the back room after turning off the lights. They were left in darkness save for the candle in the center of their table.

The brunette looked at the delicate watch on her wrist and frowned.

"It _is_ getting late. As much as I hate to say it, perhaps I should retire for the evening as well. I'll need to drive home before the weather gets any worse."

Roy sighed. That night had been the first time he'd been able to relax and be happy since Bradley had taken away his team. He was reluctant for it to end.

As if hearing his silent plea, the thunderstorm outside chose that moment to grow in intensity. Roy grinned and glanced to the woman at his side.

"Actually, rather than try to drive home, I think I have a better idea."

The woman turned to him, brow furrowing in confusion until Roy blew out their only source of light. She felt his hand encompass her own and suddenly he was so close she could feel his breath ghost over her ear as he spoke.

"Come with me."

She offered no resistance as Roy led her from the main bar to a door in the back room that led to a flight of stairs. Even in the dark Roy knew his way around his childhood home like the back of his hand. He led the way up the stairs and down the dark hall. A flash of lightning lit the way for a brief moment, illuminating the closed door Roy was heading to. They crept to the door, trying to be as quiet as they could so they didn't disturb the Madame who slept at the other end of the hall.

Twisting the handle quietly, Roy pushed the door open and tugged the woman inside the room before closing the door behind them. Once they were alone, his arms wrapped around her immediately. His kiss was urgent, desperate, like he was a man denied water for ages and was finally allowed to drink again. He reached up into her hair and gently tugged at the curls. The wig came off and he tossed it to the floor.

"Much better," he grinned against her mouth. "I prefer blondes, you know."

Riza rolled her eyes. She was always astounded by how ridiculous he could be in even the most dire of situations. She was not having any of his joking that night, though. What they were doing was dangerous, but she knew he needed this. _She_ needed this. The stress of the last few months had been weighing down on both of them. They'd missed each other during their time apart. Keeping in touch with coded messages and phone calls wasn't enough. They worried for each other every second of every day. It was exhausting.

Riza pulled herself flush against him and kissed him, hard, leaving room for little more than air to come between them.

"It's going to be okay," Roy murmured, feeling her tension. "They won't know."

In the darkness, where even Pride could not see them, they could be together again.

The rain lashed at the windows, fervent and hungry, like his lips upon her skin.


	43. In Your Arms

Hey, look! After almost a year on hiatus I've returned with a small offering.

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Rain poured in sheets outside the tiny apartment window. Petrichor filled the air. Clouds blotted out the evening sun, prompting the street lamps to turn on one by one down the sidewalks of Central City. The downpour had come on sudden and fast and pedestrians scrambled to seek shelter.

An orange glow radiated from the apartment window high above the streets, embracing the couple inside with warmth despite the unexpected turn of weather.

"Sir, you can't keep coming over here with lame excuses."

"Well I can't very well leave _now_ , can I?" Roy countered, standing there with an emploring grin on his face and a grocery bag in his hand.

Riza sighed. She was about ready to shove him out the door anyway. His concern was endearing at first, but now he was being too reckless. Someone was going to catch on that he was visiting her out of more than just being a worried colonel looking out for his subordinate. He was there as Roy worried about his newly proclaimed secret girlfriend, Riza.

After the Promised Day a little less than a month ago, they had vowed not to waste any more of their time together. To hell with waiting until their goals had been reached. Riza almost dying was a wake up call for Roy. He refused to let her die, or die himself, without telling her how he felt. Of course it wasn't necessary. They had both known for years how they felt for one another. Though saying it outloud and being able to act on those feelings was completely different than simply being aware of it.

Riza had been sent home from the hospital several days earlier, but was to remain off duty for another week. Roy took it upon himself to be her unofficial (and unneeded as far as Riza was concerned) caretaker. He arrived at her apartment every day after work, usually with something to do, like paperwork, to use as an excuse. But really, there was only so much paperwork help and other nonsense that others would actually believe he was seeing her for.

Whenever she chided him for coming over again, he claimed that the military was still too preoccupied with rebuilding Central command that no one would notice he was visiting her every day.

It was a reasonable thought, but it still made Riza nervous.

"Fine, you can stay again. But please don't make this a habit."

Roy's face fell a bit. "You don't like seeing me like this?"

"You know that's not it," Riza sighed. "You're getting a promotion soon. I don't want to be the reason you lose everything you've worked so hard for."

" _We_."

"Hm?"

"Everything _we've_ worked so hard for." Riza opened her mouth to respond, but Roy continued, knowing what she was going to say. "I understand your concerns, but please put a little more faith in me. And a little more faith in yourself."

Riza looked away, eyes downcast. They had used her against him. She had become a liability. She broke down when she thought Lust had killed him. In her eyes, she had failed him one too many times. Somehow he knew she was beating herself up about it and tried to reassure her. Sometimes it worked. In that moment, it wasn't.

The gentle caress of Roy's knuckles against her temple and cheek brought her back from her destructive thoughts.

He was alive. She was alive. In this moment, nothing could harm them.

Riza leaned into his touch then wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into the scratchy wool of his uniform jacket. Roy dropped the grocery bag in his hand and immediately returned her embrace.

This was how things were meant to be. Why had they denied themselves for so long? He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"We'll get there," Roy muttered into her hair. "When you're well enough to come back to work, we'll figure things out. For now, just let us have this."

Riza nodded against his chest, not moving to look at him. It was warm and safe in his arms. It was something she could get used to. That thought scared her maybe a little more than it should have, but as he asked, she would have more faith in him in the future, and attempt to have more faith in herself. After all, if Roy believed in her that much, maybe there was something within her only he could see. It was more comforting to think about than anything else that had been on her mind so she focused on it and smiled.


End file.
